Runaway:Chapter Nine Escape
by P.A.R
Summary: Orion sets out to rescue his wife before she is taken to Azkaban, getting help from a most unlikely source. But that help comes at a high price. Also, Harry seeks a few answers of his own as to Katlin's true motives.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Yes, yes. I'm late. Missed last week. And the next. But it was a bit of a hectic holiday season.

I started it with having to attend the funeral of a woman I worked with. A sweeter soul the world never knew. If anyone ever defined the phrase 'perpetually happy to the point we are a little suspicious of her', it was Nina, who would probably be equally amused by the description.

Nina Fralic died December 13th, 2004 in a tragic car accident, where the car she was in was hit by a truck. Many will miss you, Nina. And I am one of them.

After that I had my usual Saturday rush of making it to church at 4:30 and then I went home to bed with a migraine.

Sunday I was back to church, then off to my nephew's Christening, back home, and then off to the celebration of his first birthday.

Then was Christmas, where, as we sat opening presents, we got word my aunt over in Holland had died the night before.

There were several other things I will no bore you with here. Suffice to say, I am glad to see January 2nd.

So you see, it wasn't the best holiday season for me.

Back to the story. As mentioned, this is just one of my typical little jaunts. Nothing overly serious until the end. And it actually ends in two parts. This story is the first part. The second part was added because I didn't want to leave you hanging with no conclusion to the last chapter. You'll see what I mean when you get there. The second part will also be your first glimpse of Hershal Beckett. I know I told you he first appeared in Family Relations. You can chalk that up to evolving storylines. Hershal was not originally any part of Runaway. But later I found his character to be just what I needed to bring the story to the end I wanted.

This story will also give you a slightly different view of Katlin. Runaway encompasses Katlin in all of her Deatheater glory. Showing her for all she can be. Beautiful as well as deadly. But she also has a very sharp, very cunning, and sometimes very dangerous mind. The only vague spot in Runaway would be which game is she really playing. The role she assumes or the actual part. Good luck with that one.

And also, so where does this take place? You can comfortably slip it in right after the last chapter of Family Life. That will work fairly well I think.

One last thing. I had two choices here, folks. 'Post' or 'Proof read'. I chose 'Post, so you get to 'Proof read' and forgive the errors. And in reference to that, I should like to remind you of two things.

1. My caps key is a little funny about working.

2. My 'O' key is downright unemployed.

But, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, or Happy Holidays, whichever suits.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nothing has really changed since Enemies, folks. So just go back and read those disclaimers if you're that unsure.

: Nothing has really changed since , folks. So just go back and read those disclaimers if you're that unsure.

Chapter One: How Did The Day Go So Wrong

Harry sat on the stone floor, staring at a small stream of water that ran inbetween the stones towards the door of the cell he currently sat in.

How could a day that started out so normally have gone so wrong so fast?

He had woken up that morning and, looking outside at the clear blue sky, had decided it would be a good day to meet Ron and Hermione in Diagon Alley for a bit of pre-school shopping. In truth, he had no intention of even looking at anything that even remotely resembled a book. But it was a good excuse to convince Hermione to come if she thought she could get a jump on her new year reading.

And so with a hundred promises to Arabella and Sirius to be careful, be alert, and be home before dark, Harry got permission to meet his friends in Diagon Alley without his guardians tagging along for once. Harry had promised a very nervous looking Arabella over and over he would be careful right up to throwing floo powder into the fireplace. And with a happy call for Diagon Alley, Harry was off for a day of shop browsing with his friends.

When he thought back on things. Harry guessed that that was where things had started to go wrong. In the middle of being transported to Diagon Alley, he had felt a slight pull. Like he was almost shifted off in a different direction. But the feeling past quickly and he thought no more of it. When he landed in Diagon Alley, he quickly set off to find Ron and Hermione. They had planned to meet at Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry thought that would be a fairly good place to start their day. But as he hurried through the crowd, he failed to notice a tall, thin man fall into step behind him. A few feet more and another joined him. By the time Harry realized he was being followed it was far too late to even call for help. Harry tried to loose himself in the crowd to get away from the two men. But as soon as they realized they had been spotted, the two descended on the teenage boy, each grabbing an arm, and suddenly disappeared before Harry even thought to scream for help.

Harry recognized the feeling of being apparated under someone else's control. As soon as he felt himself land, the world slipped into darkness around him. He thought he had heard someone speak a stunning spell, but he wasn't sure. When he woke up, he was in the cell he was in now.

Harry could only imagine the two men to have been Deatheaters, and that he had to be in the Deatheater lair, with no idea how long he had been there.

Harry couldn't even begin to imagine what his godparents and his friends were going through. He didn't even want to try.

As he continued to stare at the grey stone floor before him, the sound of footsteps approaching caused him to look up.

As the woman came into view, Harry found himself staring at her despite his best efforts not to. The woman was a stunning collection of perfection. Even in her Deatheater robes, Harry could tell she was every model's dream of perfect measurements. A cascade of light, auburn tinted hair framed a sculpted face and a row of pearl white teeth formed a disarmingly friendly smile. In her small, slender hands, she held a dark mahogany wand.

As she approached the cell, Harry couldn't fight off the feeling of how out of place that smile seemed for some reason. He doubted a man in the world would have turned it down. But for some reason it made him feel very uncomfortable.

"So," the woman said in a soft, solicitous voice as she crouched in front of the cell bars, her hands resting in her lap. "You're Harry."

Harry couldn't have imagined any other voice that he would have matched to her. It had a soft, musical quality to it that could have you listening to it for hours and never grow tired of hearing it. But just the same he managed to give the woman a very sour look.

"So," he replied curtly, "you're a Deatheater?"

The woman's smile only faltered slightly. "I suppose you have reason to be hostile and mistrusting." She said gently.

Harry looked around his cell, then back at the woman at he bars. "Suppose?"

The smile softened. "We're not all torture-happy, rabid fiends, you know, Harry."

Harry stared back at the woman. More than anything, she was making him extremely nervous, and all he wanted was for her to go away.

As Harry studied her, the woman seemed to be searching desperately for something to say. "So," she began again, "would you like anything?"

"My freedom?"

The woman looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "I can imagine you would." she replied in the same soft voice, now barely above a whisper. "I can't imagine I would like being in a cage very much myself."

"So let me go."

The woman bit her bottom lip as she stared back at him through the bars of the cage. "Harry, what if....." But she stopped abruptly and got to her feet so quickly it took Harry a second to register the change. The woman was instantly the picture of other Deatheaters who had come to his cell since he had arrived.

Standing straight backed with her hands behind her, she looked down at him past emotionless eyes.

"The dark lord will not stand for your behavior forever, Harry Potter." She stated as though she were reading each word from a well rehearsed script. "You will tell him what he wants to know."

Harry sat in stunned silence. He didn't know what to say in the face of the sudden change. But nor did he have long to ponder the question when another voice echoed from the darkness.

"And he is growing impatient."

Another Deatheater joined the woman. This one a man. From Harry's viewpoint the woman seemed intimidated by him as she cast her eyes down at his approach and didn't look up again.

"What has the boy said?" The man demanded.

The woman paused before she answered him. "He's still in shock." She answered in a low voice. "He hasn't said much of anything."

"Shock?" The man stated in disbelief. "The boy is no more in shock than I am. And the dark lord is awaiting some report of what we have learned from him. It will go very badly if I have to return to him empty handed."

Harry noted the man never said 'who' it would go bad for. Himself or the woman.

"I have barely had time to question him." The woman protested, but with no real force behind her words. "It takes time to get the information our lord wants."

"Then get on with it!" The man state sharply, causing the woman to cringe slightly back from him. "I'll return in an hour. I expect something by then."

Harry watched the woman stare after the man as he left. A look somewhere between contempt and disgust on her face. "It's people like you that give Deatheaters a bad name." She sneered after him when he was out of earshot.

Almost instantly the woman turned back to Harry as a door slammed shut further down the corridor.

"Well then," she said, reverting back to her bright, smiling persona as she crouched back in front of the bars, "where were we?"

"Torture happy rabid fiends?" Harry offered.

The woman's smile grew. "So, you still have some sense of humor then." She said.

"Oh, yeah. I'm laughing myself silly here."

The woman cocked her head slightly to the side with a puzzled look. "Sorry. Missing that, Harry."

Harry remained silent.

"Well, lets start with some basics then, shall we?"

"Basics?"

The woman stuck her hand inbetween the bars as she reached into the cage. "I'm Katlin Griss. Formerly known as 'the Deatheater'."

Harry pulled back from the offered hand.

Katlin pulled back slightly, her face echoing her disappointment at his reaction. "Oh. I see." She said as the smile faded from her face. She pulled back and rested her hands in her lap again. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know, Harry." She said quietly.

Harry remained silent as he stared back at her.

"You don't believe me?"

Harry still said nothing.

"Well?"

"Then what was all that before?" Harry asked. "About getting information out of me for Voldemort?"

The woman gave a short, snorting laugh that was as out of place under the circumstance in Harry's view as if she'd suddenly jumped up and started dancing.

"Oh. That." She replied. "Pretty good, huh?" She stood back up and again assumed her authoritative pose. "You will tell the dark lord what he wants to know, Harry Potter. We have ways to make you talk." The woman stared down at him past a very menacing stare.

"Tell you what?" Harry asked sincerely.

The woman snorted again as she crouched back in front of his cell door. "How the heck should I know? You're the one with the information, Harry."

"But I don't know what you want."

The woman sighed and shook her head. "Then this is going to take a lot longer than we thought, would be my guess."

Harry scooted further back in the cell.

Katlin's expression soften as she watched him. "You're trying very hard to be brave." She said in a quiet voice. "But I wouldn't blame you a bit for being scared. I would be. Grabbed off the street where you thought you were safe. Taken from your home, from the people who love you. No one knows where you are, and no one can help you. Completely at the dark lord's mercy, and you know he hasn't got any. I would be scared out of my mind."

Harry did his best to look a little less scared. The last thing he wanted was for the woman to know he was.

Katlin was still staring at him from outside the bars, the solicitous smile once again dominating her features.

"I meant what I said, Harry." She said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. And I don't want to see you get hurt."

"So why don't I just talk and get it over with?" Harry asked, putting as much defiance in his voice as he could.

Katlin shook her head. "You're not getting it, Harry." She said. "All I want is to help you if you'll let me."

"Help me? How?"

"How would you like to go home?"

"Home?"

"Yes. Would you like that?"

"How?"

Katlin stood up and pulled out her wand. She spoke a quick spell and tapped the lock on the cell door.

Harry could hear the bolts sliding out of the lock and the door suddenly swung open a few inches. Katlin reached out and pulled it open the rest of the way until it was standing wide open before Harry.

"How is this for starters?"

Despite the urge to run for the open door, Harry stayed exactly where he was, making no move at all.

"We don't have all day, Harry." Katlin warned, holding her hand out to him.

Harry slowly got to his feet and took one step towards freedom, but never took the proffered hand. But quite suddenly she reached in and grabbed one of his and yanked him out, closing the door after him. Harry quickly noted that with that one gesture she had effectively cut off his options as to what to do. He had little choice now but to follow her or wander about on his own until he might accidentally find his way out, but more likely run across another Deatheater.

"Now stay with me." she ordered in a low whisper. "And don't make so much as a sound."

Harry involuntarily pulled against her hold, but gave up almost immediately as he felt the fingers tighten around his wrist until the grip was almost painful. Following the Deatheater wasn't coming with many options. And she didn't seem to mean him any harm. At least not yet.

Harry decided he had best stick close to the woman or risk getting lost in the lair. And so he stayed up with her as best he could. Several times he felt her grip slip free of his hand. But instead of trying to run in some other direction, Harry inexplicitly found himself seized by a sudden fear and tightened his own grip on her hand. As they continued, Katlin started letting go of his hand for short periods of time when she would tell him to stay put and she would go ahead a short distance to check a side corridor. But now when she reached for his hand again, Harry willingly laid it back in her's. An act that brought the smallest smile to her lips as she would then lead them on.

After what seemed like the better part of a half hour, Harry felt the cool night air suddenly wash over him as they stepped outside. But he had little time to enjoy it as Katlin quickly led him into the forest, never slowing their pace as they rushed off into the brush.

But after only a few minutes Katlin stopped without warning and looked about.

"What is it?" Harry ask, having nearly collided with her back.

"Oh no." she whispered. "It's far to soon."

Harry abruptly found himself pulled to the ground.

"Stay down!" Katlin stated in an urgent whisper. "And stay silent!"

"But what......?"

"Silent!" Katlin reiterated in a firmer voice.

Harry lay prone on the ground. As he listened to his own breathing, anther sound caught his attention. It was like a rush of wind headed towards them through the trees.

A hand forced his head back down as Harry tried to look up to see the source of the noise.

"No!" Katlin cried, raising her voice over the sound of the approaching wind. "Keep your head down!"

Seconds after Harry dropped his head back down, he felt a violent rush of wind blast past him, no more than a few inches, he guessed, above him. He could feel small branches, twigs, and other debris drop over his back, arms, and legs as the wind rushed past.

And suddenly as it had come, the wind dissipated. And as quickly as she had thrown him to the ground, Katlin pulled Harry back to his feet.

"Voldemort knows you've escaped. " Katlin informed him."We're going to have to move quicker now. "

"Quicker?"

"Can you apparate, Harry?"

Harry shook as head.

Katlin bit her lower lip again as she said stood staring at him, as though running ideas over in her mind. Moments later she seemed to settle on one as she positioned herself behind him and wrapped her arms about him.

"Sorry for the lack of explanation, Harry. " she whispered as Harry felt himself being pulled away from the place that has he had been standing

Harry knew the feeling of having someone else help you apparate. Sirius had done the same thing with him several times. But the feeling change as something seem to abruptly grab hold of him and gave a sharp pull. Thinking maybe they had reached wherever Katlin was taking them, Harry opened his eyes only to find himself staring at darkness. A sharp yank from around his waist caused him to close his eyes again as he felt the air forced out of his lungs. The pulling increased in strength as Harry felt and equal force attempting to move him in the opposite direction.

Remembering the Katlin had been behind him, Harry lent all of his aid to the grip about his waist, trying as hard as he could to pull free of the other force.

With one more firm yank, Harry felt the force in front of him let go, and he fell backwards with a solid thud.

Opening his eyes, Harry found himself at first staring up the sky. But he was yank yet again to his feet to be met by Katlin's anxious stare as she looked him over quickly.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

"Yeah. What was that? I felt like I was being pulled into different directions."

"Well, you were. Voldemort found us just as I tried to apparate out with you and tried to bring us back into the lair. I only just managed to get us away from him with your help."

"Are we safe?"

Katlin shook her head. "He knows you gone. And he knows. . . " Katlin stopped suddenly has she let out a piercing scream of pain, her left hand wrapping itself about her lower right arm.

"Katlin!?" Harry rushed towards her as she collapsed to her knees, biting back any further cries of pain.

"Katlin, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Voldemort. " Katlin gasp as she kneeled on the ground. But she managed to pull herslef up enough to grab Harry by the arm and shoved him away from her. "Harry, go. " She told him in the voice full of pain. "Just go. Run as fast as you can from this place. "

"But what about you?"

katlin shook her head in silent resignation. "Voldemort knows I help you escaped." She held out her right arm to him and pulled up the sleeve of her robe. Underneath the sleeve a scar in the shape of the Dark Mark glowed like a fire beneath her skin.

Harry could see the sweat on Katlin face, and even in the dim light shining through the trees from the near full moon, could read the pain in her eyes. Whenever Voldemort was doing to her, she was in agony from it.

"Harry! Go!" She demanded again, pointing a shaking finger in the direction she wanted him to take.

Harry stayed where he was. "But what about you?" he ask quickly. "He'll come for you, won't he? He'll find you."

"I accomplished what I set out to do." Katlin told him. "Now please dn't make it for nothing. Go back to Hogwart's . It's just. . . . "

But she never got to finish as another wave of pain shot through her body and she collapsed to the ground with a scream of agony.

"But can't we do something?" Harry asked, carefully helping her to sit up slightly. "Make it so he can't hurt you?"

Katlin looked up at him, searching his face for a moment as the pain lessened its hold on her. "You would do that?" She as quickly. "Help the Deatheater?"

"I'd help someone who wanted to be free of Voldemort. " Harry answered resolutely.

Katlin studied him for a moment longer, then reached out and took his left hand. Carefully shaped placed it over the mark on her arm, which had died down in color to dull amber.

"Place your hand there," she instructed in a weak voice, "and don't let go until I say so. Alright?"

Harry nodded, trying to mask the uncertainty in his eyes. He listened to Katlin recite a brief spell. A bright light seeped out from under Harry's hand. As he watched, the pattern of the Dark Mark began to etch itself on his lower left arm in clear, black lines. When the mark was finished, it flashed a bright red, sending a wave of pain through Harry's arm and right into his brain. But despite the pain, Harry refuse to let go of Katlin arm.

When the pain subsided, Harry look down at his arm. Every trace of the Dark Mark was gone. But to his amazement, the mark was gone from Katlin's arm as well.

Katlin grabbed him in a tight hug. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear. "Oh, thank you, Harry. You have no idea what it means to me to be free of that mark."

"You're welcome." Harry replied blankly, staring at his own mark.

"It won't come back." she said, following his stare.

Harry turned to her. "What did you do?"

"The spell transfer the mark from me to you. " Katlin's voice faltered for second. "I....I took a chance, Harry. I'm sorry to say I didn't know if it would work, but I was sure I could reverse the spells if it didn't. You weren't in any danger. But your own innate magic was enough to destroy the Dark Mark. " She gave him a pleased smile. "We're both free of it now." she added, slowly, almost painfully pulling herself to her feet. "Can you move?"

Harry pulled himself up with almost the same slowness. But after a few seconds to check his balance and his stance, he nodded to her.

"Good. We have to move quickly. But I don't recommend we try to apparate again. Voldemort seems to be able to tap into that too easily. And we'll be a lot harder to find on the ground."

"Where are we going?" Harry ask as he started after Katlin.

"The only place we'll be safe." she replied, turning around to face him. "Hogwart's. After that we'll get you back to your godparents. I'm sure they're practically out of their minds with worry by now."

Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of being back with Sirius and Arabella. And he was certain Katlin's appraisal of their state wasn't far off the mark either.

How far is it to Hogwart's?"

Katlin's smile faded slightly. "It's a very long way, I'm afraid, Harry. At best it'll take us a few days to get there."

"But couldn't we just take the Night Bus or something like that?"

Katlin shook her head. "Everything that you can think of that could speed things up, I promise you, Voldemort thought of five minutes ago. And he likely already has someone watching every avenue of transportation we could try. My attempt to apparate proved that all too clearly." Katlin gave him a slightly waning smile. "We have to be very careful, Harry. Voldemort will do anything at this pint to get you back and capture me. Including outright abduction in front of muggles. He wouldn't care who saw what. He doesn't like to lose his prizes........and he doesn't tolerate traitors."

Harry stared up at her. Her last statement slowly sinking in. "What will Voldemort do if he catches you?" he ask quietly.

Katlin stared down at him in silence for a few seconds. But finally she reached out and gently caressed a hand over the side of his head, lightly stroking her fingers under his chin. "Far worse than you're thinking right now." she replied softly as she let her hand fall back to her side. "Far worse."

"Why did you help me then?" he ask. "I mean, it doesn't seem to me you're getting anything out of this but trouble."

Katlin's expression softened even more. "Because I know what he would do to you if I hadn't intervened. And for all I may have done in my life, Harry, I do not condone anyone torturing a child."

"I'm not a child." Harry stated quietly.

"Maybe you don't see yourself that way, Harry. And I am sure a lot of other people don't either. Dumbledore for one. And your godparents. Some of the things they have ask you to do, or things they have put you through, or expected of you, I think sometimes they forget that you are just a child. But all I saw when I looked into that cage, Harry, was a very frightened little boy. And who was trying very hard to be very brave. One I was not going to let Voldemort kill just for some stupid power he thinks you have."

"Sirius and Arabella would never hurt me." Harry replied, his voice rising slightly as he came to his godparents defense. "Nor would Professor Dumbledore."

Katlin held her hands up. "I'm not saying they would do it intentionally, Harry. I'm saying.......sometimes, maybe they don't see the danger. Or realize how great it is." She gave him a small smile. "Or maybe I'm just over-protective. I never had anyone before that I had to take care of. And now, suddenly, I have you."

"I don't need to be 'taken care of'." Harry muttered.

"Then just humor me for the next few days, O.K.? Because I think we'll both enjoy my 'taking care' of you a whole lot more than my 'interrogating you'. So," she added, changing the subject with a warming smile, "feel up to a trip?"

Harry paused for a moment, then returned her smile as he nodded and followed her off through the trees.

****

Q&A

ENEMIES

Nessie:

I hope you are enjoying Runaway so far, Dear. I was always told if you don't hook 'em with the first chapter, you're pretty much just wasting time after that.

I will certainly look at the story on your recommendation. However, I have to warn you that I am very biased towards the Sirius/Arabella relationship (for some reason).

****

Silverfox:

Actually, no. The wizard in the north did not kill the currier in Austria.

Sorry, but Orion and Katlin will have to keep their marriage a secret to all but those who need to know. At least for now. And indeed, I was looking forward to writing the chapter about Katlin inviting Treaks to the parade she held down Main Street, standing on the main float, waving a framed copy of her wedding license for all to see while she sang 'I'm his missus'. Oh well.

I'm afraid poor Katlin, if she thinks her life is stabilized at all, is in for an unpleasant surprise as time goes on. Some of it good, some of it....not so good. But she has a lot to face, and a lot of hard decisions to make.

What happened? Well, first off, Katlin had a lot to deal with in her personal life, so she was a bit distracted. That benefited Treaks, who, with his own followers within the Deatheaters, quickly manipulated that situation to his advantage. Through them, and with Katlin absent a good deal of the time, he managed to gain control of a good number of the Deatheaters. But not all. So, with Voldemort's downfall, you had a division of loyalties already. Those who followed Katlin and those who followed Treaks. And that, my Dear, is the recipe for disorganization if ever I heard it.

Second, Katlin was not in contact with Voldemort. Whatever gave you the idea she was? Katlin was as surprised at Voldemort's attack on the Potter's as anyone. So she obviously had no idea of his plans, or any immediate contact with him.

The effect the destruction of the lair had on Katlin and Orion's relationship is really secondary to the price Orion will have to pay for that act. Not the least of which being his father. As the host to the 'Power', do you think he wasn't aware of what happened? And actually, that confrontation was one of the parts I left out of Enemies and decided to possibly put it in somewhere else later, likely as a one shot story. But keep in mind what the ultimate cost of using the 'Power' is on the host.

Yup! There's a whole bunch of Deatheaters out there somewhere who owe their continued existence to miscommunication. Bo simply assumed Orion wanted only 'the lair' destroyed, not the people in it. And that was pure luck for the Deatheaters, and not benevolence on Bo's part. Remember that Bo does not understand the concept of 'death' as we do. He has some idea it is not a good thing, but not the real concept. So to tell him to 'kill' someone would not be something he would have any attack of conscience about. He would simply do it, then turn around like a little dog, wagging it's tail and expecting a treat for doing such a good job of it. It was just 'something to do' to him. This is one of the things that makes the concept of Bo in the wrong hands so dangerous. A nearly unlimited force, without a hint of moral conscience. At least where killing is concerned. Interesting that a creature that would not think to hurt his friend, could wipe out a whole city without a thought.

The Black family, having brought the 'Power' into being, likely have the best understanding of what Bo is. However, please keep in mind that Bo wasn't Bo before Orion's father, Talon Black. So naturally, every Black before that had a different view of the 'Power'. In fact, it was radically different. Before Talon, the 'Power' was a part of the host. It resided with him something like a symbiotic life form. But Talon put an end to that by giving the 'Power' of body of its own to deal with. Now the 'Power' had a physical form the family could relate to. However, Bo is also not an idiot. He is a sentient life form. He thinks and feels. But mostly, he thinks for himself. Which is sort of dangerous. So to say anyone knows 'all about Bo' is incorrect. What I meant by saying the Black's understand what Bo is, I meant only that, as the host family, they naturally know more about Bo than anyone else. How could they not? Especially when most people don't even know he exists.

That's very sweet of you, Dear. Compliments are always appreciated. And Family Relations will be out shortly after this story, although postings will be sparatic because I am working on a new writing project right now for which I am being paid. So that must take precedence. Working on my Fanfiction stories is what I do when I get bored with that.

Thank you so much for the kind words.

The rest of your answer in in the section below.

****

Skahducky:

I'm not sure I'll have the surgery, Dear. Someone in my office just had it done and, after hearing all about it, I am not that keen on it. I mean, think about not being able to use one hand for two weeks, or get it wet. And the surgery itself, while nt major, involves needles. PAR does NOT like needles, Dear. So we will see. I will need to do something though. The tests were fun. They literally shock you down your fingers and arm to test nerve response. Most of the areas were a pain. But the one on the muscle at the end of the thumb felt so good, they promised to leave the tester on a few extra minutes if I was god for the rest of the test areas. That tester, if you're wondering, was little more than a mini tazzer. Just like the police use.

Back to that, are we? Didn't someone, somewhere, recognize Katlin's name or that Orion was marrying a Deatheater? Somewhere I failed to present this properly. Dear, why would they? First ff, no one knows for sure what Katlin Griss looks like. I mean, they know she is a very beautiful, attractive, drop-dead gorgeous, sexy woman. But so are a lot of woman in the world. Granted, they are not all witches, but still.........! Second, Orion did not marry Katlin Griss, He married Katlin Hekren. No one knows her by that name but Orion, Voldemort, Charly, and Treaks. Oh, and the wizard in the north. (Think about it, folks.)

Yes, a lot was solved by Orion coming to terms with a few things. Mostly, he had to let Katlin be who she was. He either had to accept what she was, or be miserable the rest f his life trying to change her. He also had to face that sometimes Katlin would need him, and sometimes she would need her husband. The trick was knowing 'which' and 'when'.

Did Katlin ever find Voldemort? Yes.

So does this story follow canon? Yes.

How is that possible? With a lot of imagination, Dear. True, canon states none of Voldemort's Deatheaters apparently came to help him. Well, I find that a bit of a stretch. He'd likely be dead if no one helped him. Why Katlin did not say anything herself about those days and why Voldemort doesn't mention her as being there is covered in In The Family Way, which covers some of Orion and Katlin's years during the time little Harry is growing up.

Do Orion and Katlin have any children? Sort of. Orion has five. And Katlin is not the mother. Think about that one for a while.

Actually, Family Relations will come up after Runaway. But I am working on it even now, since once my hand is operated on, if ever, I will not be able to do the amount of typing I usually do for about two to three months. But the story is halfway typed as it is. So I do not have too much more to do on it. And the outline was completed a very long time ago.

The rest of your answer is below.

****

Sweets:

I know all about the hurricanes and keeping ne busy, Dear, living in Polk Cuonty and hit by all three hurricanes. As well as Ivan, Jr..

Hope the math grade was good.

I'm glad I kept the story interesting for you, Sweets. But explain to me 'No wonder Orion is like he is'. I'm just curious because I can take that a lot of ways.

Well......, I Will Always Love You is sort f a sad song in context. I like to think of Orion and Katlin as more of a Love Is A Battlefield (Actually, that was more Katlin's theme than anything). Their relationship, if nothing else, will never be dull.

Did not get the e-mail, Dear. Did you send it t my work or to my parents? If you sent it to work at the doh.state.fl.us addy, it was deleted if not properly IDed. We are getting a rash of virus e-mails and anything we can't id, we delete. Sorry. if you sent it to the addy, I properly thought it was for my father and will have to look again. But if you read the A/N's, I kept a pretty god update with those about the hurricanes. And we actually came out so good, we are not even getting FEMA money.

Don't worry about the GC visit, Dear, if you have already come and gone. I look at it every day, and these days, its a sad sight to me.

****

FAMILY LIFE

Sk8er Girl:

Now, Dear, why would I kill him off? ESPECIALLY SINCE ROWLING ALREADY DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad, bad, bad JK! Bad!

****

SIRIUSLY BORED

Illucia:

Thank you, Dear.

Yes, indeed, it was so incredibly cute people kept walking up to it and tickling it under the chin.

If you liked Siriusly Bored, you would likely like my other one shots. One chapter stories are rarely serious with me, and mostly for fun.

****

FAMILY RELATIONS-CHAPTER FOUR

Silverfox:

Valid point to you, Dear. Yes, Orion should have known such a thing as the age at which one could apparate. But being 'Harry Potter' Orion likely attributed to him a few extra skills he didn't bother to find out if Harry actually had or not. Like 'can you apparate'? Past that, maybe he thought Sirius would have taught him over the summer. Other than that, it's a dreaded case of Author Oversight.

As you have seen in the above chapter, Harry bristles at being referred to as a 'child', small or otherwise.

****

Skahducky:

You got the person right, Dear. But will she take him back to Orion? That sort of kills the story if I answer that, doesn't it?

Family Relations takes place years after Enemies, Dear. However, the two stories are linked in that a lot of what was not answered in Enemies will be answered in Family Relations. Plus there are numerous returning characters.

takes place years after , Dear. However, the two stories are linked in that a lot of what was not answered in will be answered in . Plus there are numerous returning characters. 

Sorry, Dear. The only person who has had a hold on Harry in that whole end of the chapter was the one you mentioned first. Not Sirius or Arabella.

****

Bella Monte:

How dare I? Hey! I made you a bunch of new friends, didn't I? :) You were, after all, the reason I posted this chapter, and I said so too. People must love you and want your autograph. Very rarely can someone beg me into a posting.

What do you mean 'what he going to do with Harry'? He hasn't done anything yet. Well, almost nothing. And for what he has done he has (all together now) a good reason for what he did.

A tight bond? Phffft. Harry is a teenager. Orion is an adult male very attached to his freedom. So guess again.

OK, true, Orion wasn't thinking. And as was pointed out by Silverfox, he should have known Harry wasn't old enough to apparate. But he is, after all, 'Harry Potter'. And he has been living with Orion's younger brother. Orion likely expected this to be a great game Sirius would have taught Harry by now. Other than that, call it Author Oversight.

Harry will not develop a crush on his aunt, have no fear. But as with most men, Katlin does tend to unsettle him whenever she's around. But Harry's relationship with Katlin will be spelled out in Runaway, which is why that story had to go up first. I would love to comment on it here, because it is such an interesting relationship. But that would sort of kill the other story, wouldn't it?

I am glad you liked the last line. It is one of my favorites.

****

FEVER

Shiba-.-Sempia:

Interesting name.

I am very glad you enjoyed the story, Dear. It was one of my favorites to write.

****

Illucia:

I did change that particular format a bit, Dear. My Q&A moved to the bottom, but the Author's Notes will have to stay where they are. And yes, I know they tend to run a bit long, sometimes. But you always have the option to skip them. You may miss something important, which is why I put them first. But that is the chance you take.

Still writing? Dear, I have been writing for over thirty years. Most of those professionally.

****

Sami1010220:

Actually, Dear, you have a wonderful opportunity to find out what Orion is like. Try the story Enemies. He is also briefly in this story, Runaway, and figures as a major character in Family Relations.

All reviews are as of 01/02/2005.

And remember;

The next person who says "It's all good", gets a good slap.


	2. Chapter Two: Heading For Home

A/N: Sorry about the delay, folks. I had another funeral to attend. The husband of a friend died last week. Dennis McCarthy was a loving husband, avid religious leader, and highly respected in our community. He will be missed by many.

I also started back to school to finish my degree. Which requires me working a practicum as well as attend classes. So I am really pressed for time the next few months.

Also, yes, I missed last night and am posting on Monday instead. One of those rare but not unheard of happenings. You see, my mother was tired last night and went to bed right after supper. As that I did not want to wake her up, I just left posting to tonight.

Once again, please remember, my keyboard has issues.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Honestly now, you have nothing better to do than try to figure out if I am infringing on someone's copy right and sue me for the whole three cents you'll get? Why don't you page down a few inches and read the story instead. It's a far better use of your time.

****

CHAPTER TWO: HEADING FOR HOME

After what seemed like hours, Harry collapsed down onto the ground as Katlin allowed them to take a rare break. Up until then she had cajoled and coaxed him along as quickly she could. Harry began to feel that Katlin was more eager than he was to get as far from Voldemort's lair as quickly as they could.

Harry sat with his head resting on his arms as Katlin came up and crouched by him.

"How are you doing, Harry?" She asked in a solicitous voice. "All right?"

Harry raised his head. Try not to look as tired as he felt, he managed a slight smile for her. "I'm OK. " He said.

Katlin returned the smile. "Liar. You're more asleep than awake. " She said in a gentle tone. "Look, I know this area pretty well. And just a short way from here is a small cave. We can stop there and catch some sleep, OK? Do us both some good. "

Harry shook his head. "No. Really Katlin, I'm fine. We can keep going. "

"Harry, Hogwart's is a good two or three days from here. Do you think we're going to walk straight there? No stopping?

We're going to have to sleep some time. Might as well do it while we have a safe place to do it in, hey?"

Harry thought about the offer for moment, then nodded. He doubted he'd slept more than a few hours the whole time he had been in the Deatheaters lair. And the idea of getting a good, uninterrupted sleep, even on the floor of a cave, sounded like heaven.

Harry managed to grab only a few hours' sleep on the cave's dirt floor before he found himself being shaken awake.

"Come on, Harry. " Katlin was gently prodding him. "It's time to go. "

Harry got groggily to his feet, his sleep-fogged brain slowly re-awakening to his present situation with more clarity.

"What time is it?" He ask, staring at the darkness around them.

"About one in the morning. " Katlin replied. "We'll be safer traveling at night. "

She reached into her robes and pulled out a small bag. Digging into it, she pulled out a bit of bread and handed it to Harry.

"Here." She said. "This is all I managed to get before we left. But it's better than nothing. "

Realizing how hungry he was, Harry gratefully took the offer bread. But as he hungrily took a bite, he turned his eyes to Katlin, who was stuffing the bag back into her robes.

"Aren't you eating?" Harry asked.

Katlin gave him a small smile. "I had some before I woke you. " She replied, then quickly changed the subject. "We have about three or four day's trip ahead of us if we travel quickly. We'll stay under the cover of the trees as much as possible. The Deatheaters will be looking for us. Likely on brooms. So keep a close look out. And if you see someone by themselves, let me know. If I can take down one of them, we can acquire a broom and speed up our trip considerably. "

Harry nodded as they set off through the trees. For the most part, the travel wasn't difficult. The uneven terrain make things less than easy going, but, Harry conceded, they could certainly be worse. At least there was no sign of any Deatheaters, and the weather remained clear.

Katlin said very little as they walked along at a brisk pace. Mostly she kept conversation down to giving Harry instructions. At times she would have him wait in an area while she went on ahead. Other times she let them stop and rest for few minutes, offering Harry some of their supplies during a short breaks. But during the whole time, Harry never saw her eat so much as one scrap of food herself.

Eventually Harry began to make out the rose colored hue taking over the sky

in the east.

Fog had been building around them due to the swampy area they were currently in. And while the fog served well to help hide them from any Deatheaters that may be trying to track them by air, it also made for rough travel on the ground. The added moisture in the air made breathing hard, as well as soaked into their clothes and shoes.

Harry trudged wearily after Katlin. Fatigue building with every step when a hand suddenly stopped him. Harry looked up to find Katlin standing still stone just in front of him.

"Katlin, what......?"

"Shhhh!" She hissed in a whisper, eager eyes scanning the area have them. "Something just moved in the fog. "

Harry froze on the spot. Looking around wide eyed, he found he couldn't see more than a few feet in any direction. A firm hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. She waited for a moment, seeming to listen for some sound around them, then started him moving again.

Without a word, Harry followed Katlin's lead. Within a few minutes the fog began to thin and Harry found they were now hurrying across an open field. As they rapidly moved back to the cover of the trees on the other side of the field, Katlin abruptly put a hand out and stopped Harry in his tracks. Looking up, Harry saw some figures move in the fog, coming out of the cover of the trees.

"Stay behind me. " Katlin whispered. "And stayed down. If I say 'move', you moved. If I say 'stop', you stop. Understand? "

Harry nodded as he watched. The figures, all dressed in black robes, quickly spread out as they approached where Harry and Katlin stood, forming a circle around them. Harry watched Katlin's expression take on a fleetingly panicked look as she swung about. She hadn't expected the Deatheaters to surround them completely, Harry reasoned. And so did she have no front where she could keep him protected.

One figure advanced forward from the group, finally coming to stop several yards in front of them.

"Katlin Griss," the man stated in a formal tone, "you are accused of betraying your loyalty to the dark lord and the trust of your fellow Deatheaters. Surrender yourself and the boy to us and accept your punishment. "

Harry looked up at Katlin, who was standing stark still as though considering the man's words. But finally she held her wand up above her head.

"Get stuffed. " She replied.

Harry watched in amazement as the wand above Katlin's head suddenly expanded and lengthen until she held a poll approximately six feet long and a half inch in diameter.

The man before them quickly stepped back, but in his place three from the group came forward, all brandishing wands. Harry quickly pulled out his own wand as he turned to try and protect Katlin's back. At the site of him pulling out his own wand, the three remaining Deatheaters pulled theirs out as well.

The fight was quick and decisive. Harry had never seen anyone, Auror, Deatheater, or Unspeakable who fought like Katlin. Before he had even fired off a single spell, one of the Deatheaters before him was dropped by a flash of light. Harry chanced a quick glance behind him as the other two Deatheaters took cover. With the front of her pole, Katlin struck one of the Deatheaters directly in the face, taking the man down immediately. With a wide swing, she took out the other two in front of her, then, without delay, turned to face the remaining two behind them. In an instant the pole vanished back into her dark mahogany wand, which she used to fire off two rapid spells. As the last Deatheater fell, Katlin grabbed Harry by the hand and shoved him behind her.

"Run!" she all but shouted at him.

Harry took off at a sprint, heading almost blindly in the direction Katlin had sent him. He hoped it was for the trees, and simply kept running until he suddenly found himself in a thick grove.

A hand reached out and grabbed him, almost pulling him to a stop. But the instant Katlin had Harry's hand in her's she took the lead again, heading off as fast as Harry could keep up through the trees.

Thankfully the rest of the day they saw nothing more of the Deatheaters attempting to follow them. By mid-morning Katlin had slackened their pace down to a brisk walk. And by afternoon she had slowed down even more. She called a halt to their moving in the late afternoon, realizing how tired her charge was, even if he didn't say a word to her about it.

Digging into her robes, Katlin pulled out a few more bits of bread and handed them to Harry, this time along with a few slices of cheese as well. She even ate a little herself under his watchful eye. But he seemed overall pleased to see her eating something.

Katlin thought over her plan again as she watched Harry settle in for the night, curled up tightly in his robe, his head pillowed on his arm. He was a brave boy, that was for certain. But too trusting for her liking. Already he was following her without question. Had been ready to help fight off the Deatheaters that morning.

Never once questioned her actions.

The child was simply too trusting.

She would have to work on that.

Eventually Katlin fell asleep herself, granting herself at least a few precious hours sleep before getting them moving again. She promised to make the day tomorrow a short one. Maybe find another cave where they could spend the night tomorrow, rather than have to sleep out in the open and the cold.

Around ten o'clock Katlin woke to find Harry sitting on a log a few feet from her. His back was to her as he faced the darkness.

Quietly she got up and went over to where the teenager was sitting.

"Harry?" She asked a soft voice.

Harry nearly jumped at the sound, but quickly recovered himself as she sat next to him on the log.

"Looking for Deatheaters?" she asked with a small smile. "Because you're facing the wrong direction. "

Harry turned to her, but said nothing.

"Well, the only one I currently know of is right here."

Harry managed a small smile, then shook his head. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

Harry paused again, turning to the ground. "Home." he said quietly.

Katlin sat for a moment studying the boy next to her. "You miss them, don't you? Your Godparents."

Harry slowly nodded. "I'm thinking of how worried if they must be. Especially Arabella. She gets so....crazy whenever something happens to me."

"Oh, I think Ms. Figg will be just fine." Katlin replied in a cool, level voice. "She's quite resourceful."

Harry turned suddenly to the woman next to him. "You know Arabella?"

Katlin gave a small laugh. "Harry, I'm a Deatheater. You Godmother is an Auror. Of course I know her. How could I not? Vicious little thing she is, too." Katlin added in a colder voice.

Harry frowned. "Arabella?"

Katlin turned him. "And don't you ever doubt that. I would put that woman against any Deatheater I know, and feel sorry for the Deatheater. She's nearly as hated as your Godfather. "

Harry smile suddenly. "Really?" But the smile abruptly faded. "Oh! That's probably not a good thing, it is it?" he stated.

"Depends on who you are. " Katlin replied with the small, unfriendly smile.

Harry sat in silence for a few moments. "We're going to get home, aren't we, Katlin?" he asked quietly.

"Well, you are." She replied, pointing behind them. "My home is back there."

Harry looked up in surprise. "You're not going back to the Deatheaters?!" he exclaimed.

"They're my people, Harry. Where else can I go?"

"But they....they know you helped me. They'll....they'll kill you, Katlin."

"And the Ministry would do any less?"

"But I'll tell them...."

"What?" Katlin cut him off. "That I help you escaped? Brought you back home?"

Harry nodded.

"They won't care, Harry. None of that will mattered to them. All they will care about is that they finally caught the infamous Katlin Griss. They'll learn what they can from me, and then I will be sent to Azkaban faster than you can say Dementor's Kiss."

Harry looked shocked. "But....but you help me." he said again in a quieter tone.

"You don't know them at all, do you?" she ask, then turned back to the darkness. "No. When this is all over and you are safely back with your loving Godparents, Harry, I am going back where I belong."

"What will they do to you?" he whispered.

"I suspect I'll be punished."

"That doesn't sound good."

"They don't call it 'punishment' for nothing, Harry." she replied. With a slight pause Katlin sighed in the darkness. "But I've been through it before and I suspect I'll go through it again someday."

Harry gave her concerned look.

"Don't worry about it, Harry." she said softly. "The main thing is that you are all right. And as such, you should try getting some sleep. We're going to be traveling a long way tomorrow. And we won't be stopping much."

Harry nodded, then got up and went back over to where he had been sleeping earlier.

Katlin had turned herself about on the log as she watched Harry settle back down. The boy pulled his cloak back over himself and rested his head on his arm again. For several moments Katlin watched the reflection of his eyes as he stared at her.

"Aren't you going to go to sleep?" he asked finally.

"I will soon." she replied. "I have some thinking to do myself."

"About what?"

"Our plans for tomorrow. We at least should have some sort of a plan here, don't you think? We can't just keep making this up as we go along."

"I suppose."

"Then go to sleep." Katlin advised again. "A large part of my plan is that you aren't half asleep through the best parts."

Harry managed a small smile. "Goodnight, Katlin."

"Goodnight, Harry."

Katlin watched as the boy's eyes slowly closed this time, his breathing eventually leveling off into the rhythm of sleep. Finally Katlin turned her thoughts back to her plans, going over them again in careful detail.

So far, everything was going just perfect.

****

Q&A

Runaway

BellaMonte:

You're very welcome, Dear. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Does it bother me that I have so many readers and not as many reviews? Not really. I mean, granted, I would love every person who reads my stuff to write at least 'Loved it. Hated it. Thank heavens trees did not die for this. Why aren't you selling this stuff? You are my idol.' But lets be realistic. My first story, Family Life, has over 130,000 hits. It has slightly less reviews. But I look at it this way, at least 130,000 people took the time to read it, and those who reviewed apparently enjoyed it.

Besides that, Dear, I have been in the writing game for near three decades. I have a very thick skin by now. You haven't been debased until you have an editor do it.

I never knew you could respond to reviews! But wait.....isn't that what I'm doing here?

Well, a few problems there. If people were forced to review, we writers would likely have fewer readers. And checking out my 'Hits' on my stories is a cheap thrill for me as well. Second, I don't write for reviews. I mean, they are VERY nice. Don't get me wrong. But this is simply what I do in between when I get bored with my paying projects, of which I currently have two I am working on. Soon three. This is just my hobby.

****

SilverFox:

Goodness, that was a long one! PAR does so like long reviews though.

Yes, Christenings should be done much earlier. I have no idea why my brother waited so long.

Ah, yes, Hershal. And the word is more 'infamous' than 'famous', Dear. But he is rapidly taking second place to Orion as the most interesting character who has yet to be seen. Which is interesting because Hershal started out as nothing more than a plot device in relation to Bo. Bo was becoming something of an omniscient character, which was not my intention for him at all. But basically, he had no weaknesses. So I came up with Hershal, the one person who represents a weakness of Bo's. One which he exploits at every opportunity.

Runaway is your typical Saturday afternoon matinee, yes indeed. Hits the ground running and doesn't stop. Hope you enjoy it.

OK. You have me there. Yes, it was one of the agents of the wizard in the north. The question is still 'who' though.

Bo does not kill, Dear. He never has, and to my knowledge so far, never will.

The reason Katlin never brought up her being married to Treaks is because, so far, it hasn't been necessary. Treaks is right off the idea himself now. He has what he wants. Control of the Deatheaters (sort of). And he will remain so for the time being while Katlin is busy helping Voldemort. All of which will, by the way, figure into Family Relations. Also, it does not behoove Katlin to publicize her marriage too much. Raises too many questions she would rather not answer. Like 'Married? To who?'.

And do not misunderstand something. Katlin did not just marry Orion to stop Treaks from forcing her into marriage. She genuinely loves him. Strange, but true.

But you want to talk about people who should be told? What about the groom's parents? Wouldn't they like to know their little pride and joy is married? And to who?

Oh yes. Talon knows exactly what Orion does with Bo. Orion is only a channeler. Talon is the host. Whenever Orion uses the 'Power', he is only channeling it. Sort of siphoning off of it. How could Talon not feel that. Especially to the extent Orion would have needed to use to destroy the lair? And Talon doesn't know what Orion and Bo 'get up to from time to time'. He knows everything they do. Or more accurately, he knows when his son tapes into the 'Power'. Oddly enough, however, you'll note he des not know what Bo does on his own. Which is a rather large telling of just how sneaky the boggart can be sometimes. Bo is not as innocent as he seems all the time. Like any good three year old, he knows how to lie.

Indeed, Talon Black is a most interesting man. 'Complicated' is the word I believe most would use. He does not go and seek his son out every time he uses the 'Power', since Orin doesn't do so that often. But he by no means missed the destruction of the lair. Why didn't he put a stop to things right then and there? For a simple reason we have discussed before. That being, 'What would happen if B was forced to choose between his host and his channeler?'. It's not a position Talon wants to place any of them in. And to have confronted his son immediately after the deed would have likely resulted in just such an event. He knew that in order t do what he did, several factors had to be present. 1, Orion was angry, 2, he wasn't thinking straight, and 3, he wasn't likely going to listen to his father...or anyone else at that time. So he did what any parent would do. He stepped back and let things go for a while. He was keeping a feel of the situation, but he wasn't going to interfere just yet.

Now you see, here is where things get a little touchy. Yes, Talon separated himself from the 'Power' by putting it in the boggart. But that only releases him from any of the negative effects of physically being the host. He can not, genetically, separate himself completely from the 'Power'. That is why, when Orion uses the 'Power', Talon can feel it. But Talon, as host, still control's Bo. Bo, for the most part, must do what Talon says, with a few exceptions. Separating himself from the 'Power', for instance, was not just a matter of Talon telling the 'Power' to get into the boggart. That was a physical separation. Something that neither host nor 'Power' should ever have been able to do according to the parameters of the original spell. Talon restructured the spell to allow that to be done. I'm sure we are all perfectly clear on this now. Oh, and by the way, the fact that Talon messed with the original spell does figure into the story line.

It's not even empathy really. Bo just likes some people better than others. Or more to the point, he cares for some people more than others, with no regard to his relation to them. For instance, Bo should be very close to Orion's father based on his relationship to the man. But the two, in fact, have very little to do with each other. But Orion is nothing short of Bo's best friend.

I can tell you that the project is a television script. How's that?

The other project is a novel of sorts that I am co-writing.

The other project is, again, a novel.

Yes, Dear. Long sharp, pointy needles.

Actually, I'll give you a gold star for that one, Dear. (Gold star that I now have to write out because keeps dropping my asterisks.) That was actually something I put in an earlier chapter that got meddled as the story progressed and I never went back and corrected it. The fact of the matter is they know what she looks like....they think. Remember that Katlin can change her appearance as it suits her. She, therefore, can be anyone. And Katlin rarely appears publicly as herself. Only a very talented Auror, such as Olivers, can recognize her on sight, not by how she looks, but by how she acts. At the party it was by the fact she was uncomfortable in her dress. In a room full of muggles, who cares? But in a room full of witches and wizards, you most likely have someone who made a last minute 'change' without considering the cloths might not fit just right. Charly just got lucky that night when Katlin, out with a bunch of Deatheaters, went out as herself. One of those rare occasions.

What do you mean, Dear, you accept the different last name as explanation though?

Actually, Katlin is not incapable of having children. She could become pregnant, it just isn't very likely. But still, no, she is not the biological mother of the five children she and Orion end up with. (And for those of you that read these, a little 'heads up', I never said Orion was the father either, now did I?)

Orion will certainly be more careful with Harry from now on. Especially considering the tongue-lashing he is for from a certain lady for losing him in the first place.

****

Nessie:

Whether or not Katlin is devoted to Voldemort has yet to be determined, Dear. You are not nearly far enough into the story to make that determination. In fact, I would say this one is almost left up to the reader right to the end.

Actually, I never thought about the Dark Mark issue. I just assumed it was on either arm. Thanks for the correction. I shall keep it in mind from now on.

As for the Knight Bus/Night Bus issue, I was just too lazy to go look it up.

Harry is just happy to get out of the lair. As he sees it, if he stays, he's likely dead. If he leaves, no matter who with, he at least has a chance.

I'm so sorry about your dog Tootsie. It is hard to lose a pet. Especially one that consents to warming your feet at night.

****

FEVER

HWayre:

You people stay up late at night thinking up these names, don't you?

Dear, I have 16 or 17 stories up right now. Where have you been?

****

Sparkling Cherries:

Hmmm....., a gold statue could be nice. If you do decide to make one, Dear, could you send it along my way?

How could I mistake that for anything BUT a compliment, Dear. After all, you were considering making me a gold statue.

****

THE BONDS THAT TIE

Sami1010220:

I am sorry, Dear, but I do not send e-mails right now because my e-mail account is.....strange. It is also, to my knowledge, not working properly. Which is what makes it strange, you see.

But to your question, yes, that was the end of The Bonds That Tie. So you may move on to the sequel.

No, no, Dear. If you read my bio page, you will note I do not put up stories I have not either completely finished or at least outlined in some way. And RARELY, if ever, do I post two stories at once. It's simply too hard to keep them straight.

Thank you, Dear. I am glad you enjoyed it.

All reviews are as of 01/16/2005.

And remember,

Ambivalent? Well, yes and no.


	3. Runaway: Chapter Three Trust

A/N: Yes, I missed last week. And I'm afraid there's more where that came from. You see, folks, I'm afraid missed weeks are going to become more the rule than the exception for the next few weeks.

Why?  
Well, because my life is crowding me right now, and I find myself with little time for my writing. Currently I have my job, but also a second job I have to work several nights a week and weekends, and school, and a few other tasks thrown in in case I get bored.

All this adds up to more hours needed than the days seem to have. So I fall behind on things.

I'll try to post every two weeks, but no promises.

As always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Not yours. Not mine. Rowling's.

****

CHAPTER THREE : TRUST

The next morning started out in more of a rush of activity than Harry expected. It was clear that Katlin was eager to get on their way as she roused him before the sun was even up and started off through the woods.

The days progression went smoothly enough until Katlin suddenly pulled up sharply as she laid a hand over her chest.

At first Harry thought no more of the gesture than that she was trying to catch her breath since they had been traveling up hill and only just reached the top a few minutes ago. But as he drew closer he could see she wasn't just holding her hand over her chest, but had it wrapped tightly abut something underneath. From the taunt outline he could just make out a necklace around her neck. What she was holding appeared to be whatever was on the chain.

"Magic!" he heard her say softly. "What now?"

"Katlin?" Harry asked cautiously. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Katlin appeared not to have been aware he was standing so close as she turned a little quicker than usual to face him.

"Goodness, you're a quiet child." she practically exclaimed, managing to keep her voice steady.

"That's what Arabella and Sirius are always saying." Harry agreed. "Is anything wrong?"

Katlin gave him a small smile. No, nothing's wrong." she replied through a forced smile. "But I have to go take care of something, all right? And it's safer if I don't try to apparate you with me. So I'm going to leave you here." She pointed a firm finger at the ground. "Now you stay right here, Harry. I won't be but a few minutes, all right?"

"Where are you going?" Harry asked with concern. "You're not going back to the lair?"

"No, Harry. This call didn't come from Voldemort."

"Then who?"

"Magic, child! You're full of questions. Just trust me, all right? I'll be back in a few minutes. Just stay here and you'll be safe. If anyone comes near you, I'll know and I'll come right back."

Before Harry could protest further, Katlin disappeared with a small pop.

Katlin approached the figure in the drive with determined steps. He had interrupted her mission. Something he knew better than to do.

'This had best be important." She stated heatedly. "Do you have any idea..."

"I have a very good idea!" Orion cut his wife off sharply. "What I can't understand is that you would actually do something like this."

Orion hadn't been surprised at all when Arabella, and not Sirius, had approached him, asking for his help. The Ministry already knew of the boy's disappearance, and were organizing efforts to locate him. But a frantic, nearly hysterical Arabella had come straight to him, begging him to do whatever he could to help find her Godson.

He had promised her he would see what he could find out. That he would try and get Harry back to them. But he hadn't had to go far to follow his suspicions. The act had all the earmarks of only one person he knew. The kidnapping had been bold as it was brazen. And only Voldemort would dare such an act in front of so many witnesses. These days he wasn't sure of the man was that sure of himself or that crazy.

But bold or reckless, there was only one person Voldemort would trust to watch over such a valuable prisoner.

"Voldemort took Harry. And I want him returned to his godparents immediately." Orion stated in a solid voice.

But Katlin met it with cool defiance. "You want?" She ask. "Since when do you demands of the Deatheaters?"

"Don't play games with me, Katlin."

"I'm not. You have no right to interfere..."

"To interfere? Is that what you're worried about?" Orion stated in disbelief. "That I am interfering in Voldemort's plans? Let me tell you what I have been doing for the past hour. My brother is practically beside himself. That boy's godmother is in near hysterics, sure her godson is dead."

A small smile crept over Katlin's lips. "Figg needs to get a grip."

"I want him returned to his godparents, Katlin."

"First of all, you do not order me in my assignments, Mr. Black. And secondly, you have yet to prove I even have access to him."

Orion grabbed her arm. "This isn't a game, Katlin!" He nearly shouted at her.

Katlin wrenched her arm free. "No. It's not. It's my work, Mr. Black. Business."

"Business?" Orion ask in disbelief. "That's all you see this as? Well let me inform you better, Mrs. Black. This isn't about the Deatheaters, or the Ministry, or Voldemort. This is about family. Your family. That boy is as good as your nephew. And you would stand there and turn him over to Voldemort, knowing what will happen to him?"

"Is that what you think I would do?" She ask with cool indifference. "Is that how much you trust me?"

Orion gazed back at her with a pleading stare. "He's just a little boy, Katlin. He's probably scared out of his mind. His godparents are worried sick. I told them..."

"Told them what?" Katlin asked when he stopped abruptly.

Orion sighed quietly. "I told them I would do whatever I could to help get him home safely."

"Fine." Katlin stated sharply. "And now you have. You can return to his loving godparents and inform them you have successfully completed your mission. You've met with the evil Deatheater and pleaded on their behalf for the life of their darling godson. Go back and tell them what a heartless witch I was to all of it. Figg will at least believe that."

"Katlin," Orion sighed again, "please..., this isn't a game. If the Ministry gets involved..."

"Then I'll deal with them." Katlin stated firmly. "Just as always. Because that's my job, Orion. And I do it very well. You go back to that boy's overly protective godparents and you tell them their little bundle of pride and joy is safe and sound. Protected by the best bodyguard he could have."

"For how long? Until Voldemort changes his mind?"

Katlin stared back at him in silence.

"At least tell me why Voldemort wants Harry." Orion ask in a quieter voice.

"I have already told you, that is business."

Orion stepped forward. "No!" he stated firmly. "This is personal. This is family."Orion watched the emotions play across her face as she tried to resolve the conflict in her mind. Her loyalty to the Deatheaters, or loyalty to an alien concept she had never known before outside of that group. A bond not formed by blood or idealisms or loyalty. But by love.

"Katlin,...please." he pleaded with her.

Katlin slowly turned her violet eyes back to her husband. "Voldemort doesn't..." she said quietly, "...he doesn't want the boy, Orion."

"Then what is this about?"

Katlin paused again for a very long time. He was pressing her, he knew. But it didn't make sense. If Voldemort didn't want Harry, then what was he after?

Katlin finally turned back to him again, her voice quieter than before, as though she feared someone besides the man before her might hear her betrayal. "He wants...he wants to know the way into the castle. The secret one. He suspects it exists. He wants proof." Her voice grew even quieter. "And Harry isn't in the lair. He's with me. And he is safe." Katlin gave him a beseeching look. "Orion, I have to do this. I have to bring Voldemort something. I swear to you, nothing will happen to Harry while he is with me. I will keep him safe...for you."

"And are you going to give Voldemort what he wants?" Orion ask with a stoic expression.

Katlin's expression hardened. "That is business." she stated resolutely. "I told you what you wanted to know. I told you where the boy is, and that he is safe. Past that," she said evenly but with a small, condescending smile, "I guess you'll just have to trust me." She then quickly disappeared.

Orion immediately jumped onto the spot she had last stood on and drew a quickly circle about himself on the ground with his wand. The ground glowed softly where he drew the circle, erupted into a flare of light, but then just as quickly burnt out, leaving him standing just where he was.

He gave the effort a string of quiet curses. She had blocked his being able to trace her. Within the several minutes it would take him to break the spell he knew all too well she could have apparated a dozen more times and used several portkeys to successfully throw him off track. In the end, he would have to go back to Sirius and Arabella and tell them they would all have to do exactly what Katlin had said.

Trust her.

In the meantime, Orion apparated himself back to the house where Sirius and Arabella were waiting. Arabella was the first person to accost him with questions.

"Did you find him?" she begged.

Orion met first Arabella's frightened stare, then the less visible, but none the less intense one of his younger brother.

Orion turned his attention back to the frightened woman in his arms. "I know where he is." he stated quietly.

Arabella pulled back instantly, a shining light of hope in her eyes as she stared up at him. "You found him?"

Orion quickly shook his head. "I said I know where he is, Arabella. And he's safe. I promise you that."

Sirius took a step forward. He was ever bit the Auror his brother was. And he didn't like the way the conversation was headed already. "Where is he?" he ask plainly.

Orion turned his attention to his brother. "I can't tell you that."

Sirius' expression clearly showed his feelings at the answer while Arabella grabbed Orion by the shirt.

"What do you mean?" she nearly yelled at him. "If you know where he is, why can't you tell us?"

Orion slowly peeled her hands off of his cloths, afraid that at the answer, she might well rip them off of him to get to flesh.

"Because telling you so could well put him in danger, Arabella."

He felt the hands in his grip tighten. "What?"

"Arabella, he's safe. And he'll stay that way if you let me handle this. I know what I'm doing."

"You?" Sirius asked, eyeing his brother with hardening expression. "Let 'you' handle it, or your Department?"

Orion met his stare. "The Unspeakables are not a pack of idiots, Sirius."

"Perhaps. Just overly eager to get their wands out in a fight. One that my godson might happen to be in the middle of."

"The boy is safe, Sirius. And he'll stay that way...if you don't interfere."

"Interfere?" Sirius stated a bit louder. "He is my godson. What do you expect me to do? Sit here and wait for your Department to tell me what has happened to him?"

Orion knew all too well what Sirius thought of the Department of Mysteries. And of Unspeakables in general. He had begged his older brother not to join them, stating they were simply vicious by nature, in his opinion. But Orion had joined them, and the rift between he and his brother had simply widened that much more.

"If you want him back alive," Orion stated in as neutral a voice as he could, "that is exactly what we expect you to do."

"He is my godson...!"

"I'm well aware of who he is, Sirius." Orion cut him off. "But getting angry isn't going to change anything. The Department will handle this. We know where he is. We know that he is safe. And as long as no one does anything foolish, he'll stay that way."

Arabella stepped up next to him. "Just tell me," she begged, "'how ' do you know he is safe?"

Orion paused for a moment. "Because I know where he is," he replied calmly, "and I know he is being watched carefully. He's perfectly safe where he is."

The hardest part for Orion was keeping what he knew from his Department. About one point he agreed with his brother. Sometimes the Unspeakables tended to draw their wands a little too quickly for his liking. The best thing he could do was exactly what Katlin had told him to do.

Trust her.

****

Q&A

Runaway

Silverfox:

Well, Silverfox, I applaud you. My only review for two weeks. Thank you, Dear.

And such a nice long one, too,

I'm glad you are interested in Hershal. I think he will live up to your expectations. Or, at least, I hope he will. I don't know how much of a 'treat' he'll be. But he is connected most definitely to Bo.

Treaks is more capable of murder than Charly? Don't bet on it. Charly Misser didn't get to be an Unspeakable because of his winning personality any more than his partner did. Pressed to the wall, Charly can be just as ruthless as any Deatheater. Maybe even more so. Remember that Charly had to prove himself to his fellow Unspeakables. And he feels he has to do so all over again every single day. He also has to face a good deal of prejudice of being the only muggle in the Department of Mysteries, with the added ammunition used against him by those who less than favor him with their friendship, that he got that position because he is Orion Black's best friend. He's in a tough position. One that tends to harden people.

That's an interesting question, Dear. Would she have actually married him without the threat of Treaks? Possibly. And I am sure it is a question that will come up between them.

Orion's family definitely has their own set of dynamics. And yes, you will get to meet them, so to speak.

Another one of those sticky points, Dear. Talon knows when Orion uses the 'Power' but not when Bo does things himself simply because Orion is a channeler, not a host. He is not part of the 'Power', he siphons off of it. That was never a question between the 'Power' and the host because they were one in the same. Also, yes, Bo can use his own magical ability without anyone knowing...when he wants to. (I told you he wasn't all innocent.)

The relationship between Bo and Talon Black is very complicated. And no, Bo doesn't understand all the reasons things are the way they are. I suppose, for Bo, it was very much like a child being pushed away by its mother when all it craves is affection. And Talon's reasons were not all self-serving. He wanted Bo to learn to live in the world he was forced to be in. To accept it. Something Bo was not forced to do while he had a host. He only lived vicariously through his host. Now the 'Power' has a body of its own that it can manipulate and use just as any of us do. Bo has had t evolve dramatically since his non-corporeal days.

Yup. Writing for real people limits you. And you definitely kiss that omniscient viewpoint 'goodbye'. But I think I will enjoy it. A new challenge.

You have to accept 'give and take' to its ultimate limits, Dear, respect each others point of view, and live 3000 miles apart.

As I said, the fact that I said no one knows what Katlin looks like, yet Charly clearly recognized her was an oversight. Had I been a bit more 'on the ball', I'd have dropped that premise. The actual concept was they know what she looks like, but she rarely goes out as herself.

Well, as that neither Katlin nor Orion are exactly waving their marriage license about for all to see, there's little chance anyone will see the names on it.

Orion is not particularly well-known to the adoption agency. In fact, they don't know him at all. Sorry to blow your theory, Dear.

****

Family Life

Shadowface:

Ummmm..., you might want to read the other 48 chapters first, Dear. Family Life is a 49 chapter story. Not just one.

****

Siriusly Bored

Shadowface:

Thank you, Dear. I am so very glad you enjoyed it.

****

Tried And Convicted

Dimensional Analysis:

Interesting name.

And thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

****

The Bonds That Tie:

****

Dimensional Analysis:

Thank you, Dear.

All reviews are as of 01/30/2005.

And remember;

What's the difference between a new husband and a new dog?

After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.


	4. Chapter Four: Expecting The Unexpected

A/N: Well, another funeral.

One of my co-workers this time.

It was extremely unexpected and a shock to all of us. And believe me, it is one thing to go to the funeral of the member of a family you know, and quite anther to go to one where you see a person you worked with five days a week for nearly two years laying in a coffin. Betty was a lovely woman with more spunk than people half her age. My heart goes out to her family and she will be missed.

Past that I have very little to say, except, as always,

Enjoy.

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Disclaimer: Oh, go get a hobby, will you!

****

CHAPTER FOUR: EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

Miles away Katlin stood in a dark alley smiling quietly to herself.

She had apparated three times already, and used a portkey to throw Orion off her trail.

She knew he would trust her if she ask it of him. But old habits were still simply hard to break, and she knew he would try to follow her.

Katlin sighed quietly, a small trace of the smile still on her lips. She had promised him the boy would be safe. A promise made easily enough. But how in Magic's Name was she going to keep it?

The cold fog wrapped itself about her as she stood in the darkness. Voldemort expected her to complete her mission. Orion trusted her to keep her promise.

How was she going to do both?

A sudden alarm cut her thoughts off.

Harry!

Katlin instantly disapparated.

Apparating back where she had left the teenager, Katlin barely sidestepped a bolt of light that flew past her. On instinct and partly out of irritation, she instantly returned fire in the general direction.

Her first concern was covering herself. Then find the boy.

Shielding herself behind a tree, Katlin quickly scanned the area. Thankfully, Harry wasn't too hard to find. It was simply a matter of following the general direction of all the spells.

Sure enough, behind a large rock where most of the spells were concentrated, several flashes of light shot out, one hitting a figure in dark robes that ventured too close.

'Idiots!' she thought. What were they doing attacking the boy when he was alone?

Well, she would quickly put a stop to that. Raising her own wand, Katlin fired a spell that hit directly between the Deatheaters and Harry. A sharp, bright light erupted as the spell hit the ground, giving off a blinding flash of light. Katlin could hear several verbal curses as the Deatheaters broke off their attack for the moment. But she also knew that a moment was likely all she had.

Instantly she ran from behind the tree, shielding her own eyes as she headed for the rock where Harry was still hiding.

"Harry!" she practically squeaked with worry. "Are you all right?"

Harry was rubbing his own eyes, having caught the flash of light just as the Deatheaters had. As Katlin grabbed his arm he quickly pulled away. But as soon as he heard her voice he instantly relaxed.

"Katlin?" his hands instantly fastened onto her arm. "What happened! I can't see!"

"Well, thankfully, neither can the Deatheaters." she replied quickly. "Are you hurt?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but what happened?"

"A small spell to give us some cover. Don't worry about your eyes. The effects will wear off quickly enough. But for right now we need to move."

Grabbing Harry tightly by the hand, Katlin took off, heading in the direction opposite from where the Deatheaters were. But a few hundred yards out, she switched direction and head off to the side, all the while nearly dragging the teenager behind her. Several times she stopped to check his eyes, his sight returning faster than she expected. Unfortunately, it also meant that their pursuers were likely also over the effects of the spell.

Katlin ran on until she felt the pull on her hand getting stronger. She silently congratulated the boy. He had lasted longer than she expected he would. But she knew it was very unlikely he could keep going as long as she could. Looking for a safe place to stop, Katlin finally pulled up behind a large tree.

Next to her, Harry fought for breath in heavy pants as she scanned the area around them. The Deatheaters were likely already coming after her. She frowned as she thought what Voldemort might have told them of this mission. In her opinion, they were a little too eager to carry out these supposed 'attacks'.

Things had changed so much in the past few years, she thought. Subtle changes, but changes nonetheless. Johnathan Treaks had gained considerable power under Voldemort, who seemed more impressed with his ruthlessness than appalled by it, as she often was. But still he remained under her within the hierarchy of Voldemort's chain of command, though he rarely seemed to acknowledge that fact. But Katlin had learned over the years that little she did ever really required her to come in contact with Treaks. One of the few facts they both seemed grateful for.

But Voldemort had also changed, she admitted grimly. Not just physically, but his ideals as well. Again, the changes were subtle, but there nonetheless. He was becoming shorter in his temper, and more ruthless when dealing with others. Punishments were handed out more than praise whenever he was in the lair. And even that was becoming less and less as he left the running of the day to day activities more to Treaks.

Slowly Katlin was beginning to wonder if surviving the killing curse hadn't effect him more than just physically.

But these were things she would have to worry about later. Most of her attention right now had to be focused on the teenager beside her.

"Are you all right?" she asked, glancing down at Harry.

"I'm fine." Harry replied between gasps for air. "But how..." he sucked in a deep lungful, "...how are we going to lose the Deatheaters, Katlin? They know where we are."

"Well, we'll just have to be someplace else then." she stated, quickly dragging Harry after her as she started off through the trees again.

A few minutes later, Katlin felt their luck had suddenly changed. Following the side of the large hill, she had found an opening and quickly pushed Harry into it.

"But what if it's a dead end?" he asked as she continued to move them along by the light of her wand.

"It's not. " Katlin replied. "I could feel the cold air coming out of the cave. It opens somewhere."

After walking for several minutes, Katlin brought them to a stop. For a few moments she listened t the silence around them, then led Harry over to a large rock.

"We'll wait here for a little bit." Katlin advised. "If they try to come from the front, we'll hear them long before they get to us. And I doubt they know where this cave comes out. So for now I think it's best we use our present situation to our advantage and wait them out. Eventually they'll either find the cave entrance or leave the area. Hopefully the latter."

"And if they find the cave entrance instead?"

"We'll deal with that if it happens, Harry. Don't go inventing problems we may never have to face. We have enough as it is."

Harry sat in silence for a while, wondering how long Katlin was going to opt to stay put.

"Katlin," he asked finally in a low tone, "when you had to leave, where did you go?"

Katlin turned back to him with an unreadable expression. "I had to take care of something, Harry."

"Something?"

"It was business, Harry." she replied in an even tone. "Personal business."

Harry quickly fell silent again, feeling that was as much of an answer as he was going to get. For several more minutes he studied the ground before him by the dim light of Katlin's wand.

"We're going to get home, aren't we?" he ask suddenly.

Katlin turned again to the teenager sitting by her. She studied him for a few moments, understanding why Sirius had taken to the boy so easily. He was bright, and inquisitive, as brave as a fifteen year old could be, and seemingly completely unaware of his status in the world. Could the boy honestly not understand his own place in the scheme of things going on in the wizarding world? Was he really just a unknowing puppet of those around him, who manipulated him with their own truths and agendas?

"You'll get home, Harry." she said solemnly. "I promise you that. But nothing more."

"Which means you're going back to the Deatheaters." he stated quietly.

Katlin sighed in the stillness of the cave. "It's where I belong, Harry." she reiterated. "They're my people. Many of them my friends and people who depend on me. How can I ignore that and walk away?"

"But Voldemort is likely going to punish you for helping me escape."

"He won't be thrilled, no. But remember something for me, Harry." she added, tilting his face to her's with one long finger under his chin. "For all he may be, deep underneath all those layers that make up the person you know as Lord Voldemort, is just a man. You remember that for me, all right?"

Harry stared up into her eyes, slowly nodding as he thought about what she said.

"Very good." Katlin stated, "And now," she added, getting to her feet, "I think it's time we move on."

Harry got to his own feet and quickly hurried after her.

After what seemed like ages of moving through the tunnel, Harry suddenly could feel the air flow himself. And a few minutes more he could see a pinpoint of light beaconing them eagerly toward it.

"Katlin! I can see the opening!" Harry cried with excitement.

A hand slapped over his mouth.

"Quiet, child!" She hissed from behind him. "You want the Deatheaters to hear us?"

Harry shook his head hard as Katlin removed her hand.

Once he was free again, Harry hurried toward the light as quickly as he could, being more and more blinded by it as they got closer. But finally he could make out the opening and the path leading to it and broke into a run.

"We're almost there!" he gave a whisper of excitement behind him.

Harry burst out into the light without any thought that the Deatheaters would have been able to follow them or know where the cave entrance opened.

But that turned out to be the least of his worries.

As he rushed out into the light, he abruptly pulled to a stop, teetering on the edge of a cliff that fell a good thirty feet to the rocky ground below.

Harry let out a cry as he fought a losing battle with his balance. The last thing he felt was a hand grabbed him from behind and yank him back from the edge. Harry fell backwards and hit the ground on his backed.

But a second cry caught his attention.

A woman's cry.

Harry looked up just in time to see Katlin disappear over the edge of the cliff herself, unable to hold her own balance.

"Katlin!"

****

QA

Silverfox:

Treaks might or might not have a better chance at getting away with it. I would have to narrow this down to the last point. Caught at it, who would fair better? Definitely Treaks then.

Orin Bale would not look favorably on one of his agents, least of all the only muggle he has working for him, caught at unsolicited murder. However, for that situation to arise, Charly would have to first be caught at it.

Don't sweat the team thing, Dear. PAR does not work and play well with others either. I have serious issues there.

I hope that mile distance marker was a mistype on your part. My co-writer and I do not live 30 miles apart. More like 3000.

Bo is very talented, Dear, but he is not up to creating life at this time. So no, sorry, Bo did not 'make' Orion's kids.

I'm pretty sure about this, Dear. Voldemort wants an unknown, unguarded entrance to Hogwarts. He believes Harry knows where it is. Hence, Harry is a valuable source of information...right up until he tells Voldemort what he wants to know.

What last line, Dear? And to put your mind at rest, Orion and Katlin are very much still enjoying happy wedded bliss...as often as they can.

Nessie:

So very nice to see you back, Dear.

So glad you enjoyed seeing Sirius again. Keep that scene in mind. It does figure into Family Relations.

Book Six in five months? I am sorry to say I am having a hard time getting worked up about a book I have been promised is going to be even darker than the last one. Who is she going to whack this time?

Sorry, but since the demise of my favorite character, I'm just not that hepped up about the release of book six. It's all well and good, but I just think Rowling is taking this book on a turn for the worse. But then again, when you're sitting on a pile of money as high as the sky, who cares if someone likes your story or not?

Personally, I have gone from 'Who's gonna get killed?' to 'Who's gonna survive?' I am currently down to three for separate reasons.

1. Snape: With everyone else dead, he will finally get the DADA job.

2. Hagrid: Because he seems to be the least likely character TO survive.

3. Lupin: Since he's already the last surviving Marauder, (Peter doesn't count), it seems logical, as a survivor, he will still be around at the end of the story.

All reviews are as of 02/13/2005.

And remember;

****

Use the best.

Linux for servers.

Macintosh for graphics.

Palm for mobility.

Windows for solitaire.


	5. Chapter Five: Secrets

A/N: Actually, there are none, so this is sort of redundant.

Disclaimer: You see this bank account? The one with all the zeros? That's mine.

See this other bank account? The one with all the zeros, but with other numbers in front of them? That's Rowlings. Go figure.

****

CHAPTER FIVE: SECRETS

By the time Harry reached the bottom of the cliff, he found Katlin laying amid a pile of debris. Her robes were covered in dust and dirt, numerous small cuts and tears showing were her arms and legs were equally covered in cuts and scratches. But the worst of her injuries, from what Harry could tell, was a large gash across the side of her head, which was bleeding rather profusely.

Harry quickly rushed to her side and was trying to move her to a more comfortable position when she moaned slightly.

'Idiot!' Harry quickly told himself. 'She probably broke half of her ribs in that fall. Moving her is only going to make things worse.'

But Harry suddenly felt the weight in his arms shift as Katlin slowly pulled her arms under herself and managed to get herself into a sitting position.

"What happened?" She murmured, moving her body so that she could lean against the large stone that had stopped her from going any further in her fall.

"You...stopped me from falling over the edge of the cliff." Harry tried to explain, pointing above them at the precipice Katlin had fallen from.

Katlin reached up to brush a bit of hair out of her face, wincing as she moved her arm. But she quickly pulled her hand back as she felt something wet in the hair. Staring at the blood covering her hand, she gave a deep frown.

"Oh. This can't be good." She said. Looking up, Katlin scanned the horizon. In the distance she could just make out the towers of Hogwarts. They were so close. "Harry, listen to me." Katlin said, leaning back against the rock for support. "Hogwarts is just in the distance. You can even see the tops of the towers from here. All you have to do is head for them. You should be there by nightfall."

"But what about you?"

Katlin shook her head. "Harry, at best I have a few badly bruised ribs. Maybe even a couple f broken ones. I don't think my legs could even support me right now, much less take the travel." Katlin took a shallow breath against the pain seizing her body again as she shifted slightly. "I've done what I set out to do, Harry. In a few hours, you'll be beyond Voldemort's grasp. At best I would slow you down. Getting to the castle could take two days if I try to make it as well, if I could make it at all. Now the Deatheaters aren't going to stay off our trail for that long. They're probably very close right now. But if you stay under the cover of the trees, and move carefully, they likely won't see you. I'll slow them down if I get the chance. But you have to hurry."

"I'm not leaving you here." Harry stated firmly. "If the Deatheaters find you, they'll kill you."

Katlin stared up at the boy next to her. "You don't know that for certain. If you recall, the last time we met the Deatheaters, they were the ones that didn't fair very well."

"And you weren't injured then." Harry protested. "And that's another thing. You're hurt. You need help. Madam Pomfrey's the best nurse I've ever been to. I'm sure she can heal whatever's wrong. She's had to patch me up quite a few times."

Katlin sighed in exasperation. "Harry, will you just do as I say, please. There's really no time to argue. Now, I've risk a great deal to get you back to Hogwarts safely. Likely my life. Don't make that be for nothing. Just...just follow the towers. And stay under the trees. The Deatheaters will be looking for you from the air. So stay under any cover you can find."

Harry was about to protest again when something in what Katlin was saying caught his attention. 'Stay under cover.'

Harry didn't think twice about what he was about to suggest. "Katlin," he said, "what about Hogsmeade? Could you make it to Hogsmeade?"

Katlin turned to face him again. "Hogsmeade? What good will that do?"

"If you can get to Hogsmeade, I can get us to the castle safely. We could take days getting there and no one would ever see us or find us."

"How?"

Harry paused for just a few seconds. "An underground passage. There's one in Hogsmeade that runs from the town to the castle. If we can get to Hogsmeade, I can get us into the passage. Once there we'll be as safe as we would be at the castle."

"A secret passage?" Katlin repeated, trying desperately to keep her voice sounding surprised instead of pleased. "There's a secret passage from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded, but he quickly frowned as he thought over his plan. "But I'm not sure we can use it, Katlin."

"Why not?"

"Well, we can't very well walk into Honeydukes and..."

"Honeydukes?" Katlin asked with a wince of pain as she shifted slightly.

Harry paused for a second. But he had already gone this far, so what was the point in stopping. And if they were to use the passage, she would know about it then anyway. "That's where the passage comes out." Harry told her. "But like I was saying, we can't very well walk into Honeydukes, say 'Hi, can we have a look 'bout your cellar?', and then not come out again. I mean, Ron and me sneaking down there is one thing. We're quick. But you..."

"Aren't as quick as I used to be." Katlin finished for him with a slight smile. "No, I'm not. No, if the entrance to this tunnel is in Honeyduke's cellar, then we'd have to wait until nightfall. We might just stand a chance if we try getting in at night. And besides, I could use the rest anyway. The only question is where?"

Harry thought for a few moments about where they could go that they would be safe and unseen, but still be near to the town. But his expression quickly brightened as the answer came to him.

"I know just the place." Harry stated quickly. "If you can just do a small bit of climbing."

"Climbing?" Katlin looked doubtful.

"Not a lot." Harry assured her. "And it's not very steep. You can lean on me if you need to."

Katlin paused, giving a tired sigh before she slowly nodded her head. "Anything just to be able to sit down and get a good rest."

An hour later, traveling painfully slow, they made it up the hillside to the small, sheltered cave where Sirius had spent his time during Harry's fourth year.

"Well, this is very comfy." Katlin observed as she carefully collapsed to the dirt floor.

"My friends and I found this cave while we were out exploring one day last year." Harry lied. He was still very careful about disclosing anything to anyone that involved his godfather.

"Well, your curiosity is serving us very well, Harry." Katlin replied.

Harry kept the tip of his wand lit as Katlin performed a few healing spells. When she was finished the gash to her head was no more than a thin red line, and most of the cuts and bruises were barely visible anymore. Finally she rolled her robes up into a bundle and slipped them under her head as she laid down.

"Are you going to be all right?" Harry asked in a concerned tone. She still looked far from well to him.

"One of my natural talents is healing, Harry. Believe me, I know what I'm doing. But healings take a lot out of me. Especially when I'm doing them to myself. I just need some rest, and we can't go forward right now anyway. But I don't think we were followed here, so we should be safe." She added, curling up to her make-shift pillow.

"Well, I'm waking you up every hour." Harry told her. "You shouldn't sleep longer than that."

Katlin gave a tired nod. The truth was that the healing she had done had taken more out of her than she had expected. She was grateful to have a few hours were she could just sleep, even if it was going to be just one hour at a time.but so far, things were going along very nicely from her point of view. She had managed to get the boy away from the lair, away from the Deatheaters, and now he had told her exactly what Voldemort wanted to know.

The problem was, what to do now? Technically, her mission was almost complete. She almost had all the details she needed to find the passage. Tonight Harry would take her right to the entrance. If there were any spells needed to get into the tunnel, she felt certain the boy would perform them right in front of her without question.

Katlin rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling.

She had promised Orion she would take care of the boy. She had ask him to trust her.

But Voldemort was expecting her to complete her mission. He was expecting her to tell him what he had sent her to find out.

How could she accomplish both? She was going to end up being hated by someone. Orion or Voldemort. And neither option appealed to her in the least.

"Hey."

Katlin turned her head towards the teenager.

"You're suppose to be sleeping." he told her, trying to sound stern as a small played across his face nonetheless. "I'm waking you in an hour. Not an hour after you actually fall asleep."

Katlin studied him for a moment. For a teenager she supposed he was really quite handsome in a way. Or at least he showed a great deal of potential to turn female heads as he grew older. She would have to teach him one day how that could be solely used to one's advantage. Even the most suspicious person, on some basic, instinctual level, trusted good looking people.

"Go to sleep." Harry told her again, the smile still present beneath the stern command.

Katlin found herself returning his smile. "Yes, sir." she answered as she turned back to the ceiling.

There had to be a way out of this dilemma for her. She just had to find it. But until then she would stay in her comfort zone. Work her mission as best she knew how, and wait for opportunity to present itself.

With a quiet sigh, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Harry sat watching over Katlin throughout the night, waking her at regular intervals to make sure she was all right. He was thankful to see the morning light just breaking over the horizon finally, as that the last time he had woken Katlin she had started to go for her wand before she was fully awake, mumbling something about people bothering her when she was asleep.

As he sat near the cave entrance a sudden sound outside caught his attention. At first he was sure he had imagined it. But when the sound called out again, he was sure of it.

An owl's hoot.

Harry jumped to his feet and ran outside the cave.

"Hedwig!" Harry called in a whispered voice as the snowy white owl came swooping down out of the rose tinged dawn sky.

Harry stretched out his arm as the owl came in for a perfect landing on it.

Overjoyed at the simple connection to something familiar again, Harry's excitement quickly grew as he noticed a piece of parchment tied to the owl's leg.

A letter?

Who would possibly be trying to send him a letter? Who even knew where he was? Or if he would receive it?

Harry quickly untied the letter from Hedwig's leg and opened it.

Even before he read it, Harry quickly scanned to the bottom of the letter to see who had sent it. He could have screamed for joy at the name scribbled across the bottom.

Snuffles.

Harry couldn't believe it. He quickly went back to the beginning of the letter.

'Harry;' it started off, thought the name was scribble so badly over the paper he had a hard time making out his own name. Sirius must have been in an awful hurry when he wrote it.

The rest of the text read like frantic ramblings.

'Where are you? Are you all right? I can only pray you get this letter. That Hedwig somehow manages to find you. We were told by the Ministry that they have some idea where you are and that you are not in any immediate danger. But that could mean anything, coming from the ministry. Arabella, Remus, and I decided to give Hedwig a shot. Since she seems able to find just about anyone anywhere, maybe she can get this to you.

The ink on the letter is enchanted. The letter will recognize your voice, and you can simply tell it what you want to write.

Write me back. Tell me where you are and I will come and get you. Arabella, Remus, and I are very worried for you. We want to know you are safe.

Love, Snuffles.'

Harry stared at the parchment as he thought for a second, then started out, "Dear Snuffles."

As soon as he started talking, Harry watched in amazement as the ink already on the parchment began to move about on the page like black silk threads, twisting and turning about as they reformed themselves into the words he spoke.

"I'm fine." He went on. "You don't need to come and get me. I'm headed back to Hogwarts and should be there soon. I'm with a woman named Katlin Griss, who has been traveling with me. We will be coming to Hogwarts by way of the passage you know. So far, we're safe. We ran into some Deatheaters earlier, but Katlin and I fought them off and we haven't seen any since. Please don't worry. I'm fine."

Harry looked over the letter. He didn't mention that Katlin herself was a Deatheater. He didn't think, given the circumstances, that that mattered much. And he didn't say which passage he was coming through, where it was located, or that it was secret, in case Hedwig got captured on her way back to the castle. Even in so short a distance, he learned, anything can happen. Just look at how this whole thing had gotten started, he told himself. But he felt certain Sirius would know what passage he meant.

As Harry quickly re-read the letter, he noticed a few last words left from Sirius' original letter still at the bottom of the parchment that hadn't been used to construct his return letter. He thought for a moment, then added with a small, sad smile, "I love you. Harry."

He quickly rolled the parchment up and tied it back to Hedwig's leg.

"OK, girl." He told her. "You take that right back to Snuffles. And you be careful."

Harry watched as Hedwig climbed gracefully into the sky. He was glad for the pale ray of the sun streaking the sky now. A white owl wouldn't' be as noticeable in the pale morning light as it would have been on a clear night with a nearly full moon.

Harry watched Hedwig until she disappeared over the trees.

"Don't worry." He whispered to his worried godparents. "I'll be home soon."

****

Q&A

Essence Of Magic:

Essence! Good to hear from you again. Wondered where you'd gone off to.

Well, Dear, the wait is almost over. Just a few more chapters here and then we launch into Family Relations. But come on! I've given you four previews! Something take goes so against my character you have no idea. But people whined and begged so well, I started with the previews. Unfortunately, I have to swear off any more due to the fact that anything further in that story has to have the background of this story to have it make any real sense, or the relationships alone will throw you.

Sorry to be killing you, Dear. That was never my intention with my readers. Cuts into my reviews something fierce!

I am glad you are enjoying Runaway. Yes, I do like my cliffhangers. Wonderful writing tool if ever there was one.

****

Nessie:

That's all right. Many people would like to forget about Treaks.

Thank you for your condolences, Dear.

She **swears **it was a good reason and essential to the plot. But I still think it was just a cheap plot device.

I just can't stir the same enthusiasm I had for Book Five coming out. And I'm afraid while I am still doing Harry Potter (obviously), I am also heavily immersed in other things related to my other projects right now. One project is coming along very slowly while on the other I already have the first chapter out.

I am still running with the survivor theory for Lupin. He's made it this long, he'll probably be the only one left at the end!

All reviews are as of 02/27/2005.

And remember;

Hurricane season is only four months away!


	6. Chapter Six: That's The Last Door You're...

A/N: Yes, it's short. Feel free to whine all you want.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Plagiarism? Not worth it.

****

CHAPTER SIX: THAT'S THE LAST DOOR YOU'RE SLAMMING IN MY FACE

Heading back to the cave, Hedwig felt as though she had been flying for hours, even thought the trip was relatively short. But on the opposite side of the delivery were three people that absolutely wore her out just by being in the same room with them. She had nearly lost a few feathers from her leg as they eagerly worked to get the letter off. But whatever was in the letter didn't seem to please them one bit. Instead there was a lot of rushing around. New parchment, new ink, new spells. And before she knew what was happening, Hedwig found herself grabbed and thrown out the nearest window again with the base instructions, 'Find Harry'.

Not even so much as a thank you or a treat.

Hedwig had quickly found her bearing and flown off, glad just to be away from the over excited group. She was seriously hoping this was the last trip, and that she might be able to have a good long nap after she delivered this last post.

Heading into the cave the large white owl swooped over to a large, spiral rock and perched above it. She paused as she looked about the now deserted cave. A tired hoot drifted into the air as she again took wing and flew out of the cave, heading off to look for Harry.

Eventually her search brought her to Hogsmeade, and as she briefly flew about it, Hedwig again felt her hopes of a long nap rise as she spied her master standing before the door of a closed shop. She wasn't terribly interested in why he was standing about the street in the middle of the night, or who the tall, auburn-haired woman with him was. All that mattered to her was that the one who had given her the letter had impressed that it was very important that she deliver it to Harry as fast as possible. And that was what she intended to do.

Making one last circle of the square, Hedwig turned about and started her decent, swooping in on the cool evening air, heading straight for her master.

But the woman with him saw her first.

Turning about, the tall woman eyed her for a moment. But just as quickly, she suddenly unlocked the door to the shop with her wand and opened it. She quickly ushered Harry inside and, turning about, gave Hedwig a last, mischievous and equally unfriendly smile as she slammed the door on the swooping owl.

The slamming of the door coincided almost exactly with Hedwig's flying into it. The loud thump as she hit the wooden door likely went un-noticed by the two occupants currently in the shop over the sound of the door slamming shut.

Hedwig righted herself on the cobblestones as she regained her balance. The snowy owl looked up at the shut door. She walked about for a few seconds, testing her balance, then took to the air again. But it was only a few short feet of flight as she perched precariously on the handle of the door. She tried it a few times, but found it had indeed been locked again from the inside. And so with an irritated hoot, she took off again. But again she only stayed air born for a few moments as she circled the square, searching for what she needed. She found it resting off to the side of another shop, just on the corner. Hedwig swooped down again, this time wrapping her talons around a large, broken, discarded cobblestone left on the sidewalk. She quickly took to the air again, circling back around to the shop.

Taking careful aim, Hedwig swooped in, letting go of the stone as she approached the window of the shop and abruptly pulled back up into the night sky.

The sound of shattering glass answered her efforts.

With a defiant hoot, Hedwig headed back for the shop and the now open window with only one thought on her mind. Get the letter to Harry.

"What was that?" Harry whispered suddenly as he heard the glass in the front of the shop shatter.

Katlin quickly thought up a suitable answer. One that assured her the boy would keep moving in the right direction. She had managed to get him to take her this far, and she wasn't going to be stopped now by a small ball of white feathers. So she played to his most present fear.

"Deatheaters most likely." Katlin hissed back, hurrying him along even more. "They probably saw us enter the shop, Harry. Hurry! Show me where the door is. We have to get to the passage."

Sped along by the growing fear that they may be stopped so close to freedom, Harry hurried through the shop and yanked open the door to the cellar. With a solid shove from behind, he nearly tripped hurrying down the stairs. Katlin paused just long enough to glance back behind them into the shop, then rushed down the stairs after him.

"I was right." Katlin whispered urgently as they got to the bottom of the steps. "Deatheaters. I saw them coming into the shop. I don't think they saw us come down here, but it won't take them long to find the door and follow. Quickly, where is the door to the passage?"

Harry looked about anxiously. Everything looked so different in the dark.

"Harry?" Katlin whispered nervously, glancing quickly back at the door. In the dim light she could see the handle being worked. Stupid owl!

"It...just looks so different." Harry whispered back quickly. "Give me a second."

Katlin heard the door handle rattle. "We haven't got one. Find that door!"

Harry had never heard Katlin sound quite so forceful with him before, but quickly attributed it to her nerves, since if they were anything like his at the moment, they were near breaking. But suddenly he turned about and spied the familiar stacking of boxes a little off the center of the room. He quickly grabbed Katlin's hand and pulled her after him.

"Here!" He whispered urgently, shoving a box aside. Pulling out his wand, Harry tapped the floor and almost immediately a door with a handhold carved into it appeared. Harry grabbed the door handle and yanked it up, revealing the stairway into the secret passage.

Hedwig was getting a bit tired of having doors slammed in her face. Flying into the shop, she had nearly gotten to the back before Harry and the tall, auburn-haired woman had disappeared behind yet another door, which the woman again slammed shut on her. Hedwig flew to the door, hovering before it until she could perch on the handle. From her precarious position, she tried as hard as she could to push down in the handle, gaining some leverage from her wings.

It had taken three tries before she managed to get the handle down and push the door open. Thankfully the door hadn't had any lock on it. Once it was open she flew into the room and headed down the stairs. In the dim light of the moon streaming into the cellar by way of a small window near the ceiling, Hedwig saw her master and the auburn-haired woman heading down the stairs of a passage under the floorboards. Knowing she would never be able to lift the heavy wooden door, she tried to get Harry's attention by letting out a hoot of alarm, hoping he would hear her.

Harry's fear grew ever stronger as Katlin urged him down the stairs. From behind them he had heard the door at the top of the stairs open. The Deatheaters had to be just behind them. They had to get into the tunnel and seal the door behind them. But as he scurried down the narrow steps, he almost tripped over the last ones as a sound caused him to come to an abrupt halt.

An owl's hoot.

"Hedwig!"

Harry tried to turn about, but a solid shove sent him down the rest of the steps and tumbling onto the dirt floor of the passage.

When he rolled over, he stopped abruptly as he tried to get to his feet. Facing him with a look of utter determination was Katlin, her wand held out before her and pointed directly between his eyes.

"Stay where you are." She demanded in a low voice.

"Katlin?" Harry whispered uncertainly.

Katlin cocked her head slightly as she listened for any sounds above. But the door was thick enough to shut any sound but that of their own ragged breathes. Slowly she lowered her wand as she stared at Harry.

"I'm sorry, Harry." She lied convincingly in a soft voice. "But the Deatheaters had your owl."

"Hedwig?" Harry cried in alarm.

"They won't hurt her, Harry." Katlin stated quickly. "They only wanted to follow her to you. She was only trying to warn you. To alert you to the danger. They'll probably just let her go now. They have no reason to keep her."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Fairly. But we have to concentrate on getting to Hogwarts now. She'll probably be waiting for you when we get there."

With one last frightened look at the door, Harry nodded and started off down the passage, led by the lighted tip of his own wand.

Hedwig gave a disgusted hoot as she flew down the stairs, only to watch yet another door being slammed in her face. She perched on the top of the door, walking about on it as she looked for a way in. But the door was far to large and heavy for her to ever hope to lift. With a final irritated hoot, she took to wing again, this time heading back up the stairs and out of the shop. If nothing else, she could let the letter's sender know that she had not been able to deliver it.

****

Q&A

Silverfox:

You don't have to tell me how funny the site has been lately, Dear. It won't print my asterisks, and the name of the site. Oh well.

I just loved your review. In a few short sentences you ask some of the best questions. So, let me try and answer them.

1. Does Katlin know Sirius? Oh yes. Katlin is a Deatheater, head of the Elite and Voldemort's second in command. Sirius is an excellent Auror in his own right and the brother of one of the most hated Unspeakables where Voldemort's Deatheaters are concerned.. How could they NOT know each other. Past that, she also happens to be his sister-in-law. Ain't life cozy?

2. Orion ought to have problems introducing his family members to each other? Assuming you mean introducing Katlin to the rest of the family (Mom, Dad, I've married a Deatheater.), you have no idea. It was actually such a cute idea I made it a chapter in and of itself called Meeting The Parents, which was part of Enemies. But it was one of the chapters that got deleted due to length. But I kept it as a short story and will post it some time in the future. It is incredibly cute. As for introducing her to Sirius, I keep telling you there are rifts between Sirius and his older brother. What do you think one of them is?

3. Arabella recognizes the name? You bet. Katlin even told Harry the two women know each other, and the relationship isn't any more cozy than it is between Sirius and his sister-in-law. In fact, one of the points of this story is that Katlin has to gamble on how much that relationship really means to Sirius, and if he'll choose to respect it.

4. How did Sirius and Arabella react to 'that innocent little letter'? The start of this chapter gave you some idea. 'Pleased' was not one of the words used. First off, they are contending with the fact their godson is missing. Second, they are faced with the fact not only is he missing, he is traipsing about the country side with Voldemort's most feared Deatheater, acting like it is a school outing. They are probably quite certain she is waiting for the opportunity to give him a 'green light special' and claim it was an accident. Third, Harry's letter gives every indication he thinks of the woman as a friend, and has no idea how dangerous she can be.

Meanwhile, don't forget you have Orion, sitting in the background, who was basically told to 'knaff off and let me do my job' by his adoring wife.

But, a short answer to all your questions. Yes, everyone knows everyone else as far as the adults are concerned, and it is not exactly a Christmas party list of 'must invites'.

****

Tried And Convicted

King Dimension:

Thank you.

****

Fever

Lizzie:

Thank you.

All reviews are as of 03/13/2005.

And remember;

If we're here to make others happy, what are others here for?


	7. Chapter Seven: The Capture Of Katlin Gr...

A/N: No much to say. Except that the next two chapters were very hard for me to write. I really like Katlin. She rapidly became one of my favorite OC characters.

But with that said, all I can add is,

as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I was sneaky enough to plagiarize this and make money off of it, would I still be working for the state?

Ummm..., actually, probably, because I really like my job. So where does that leave us?

****

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE CAPTURE OF KATLIN GRISS

Harry didn't have a great deal of time to worry over things as Katlin hurried him along the passage. They were all but running mostly, led by the lit tip of Harry's wand. As fast as they were traveling through the tunnel, Harry did his best to look ahead of them to see what obstacles might be there. But in doing so he inadvertently stumbled over a root laying in his path.

He had barely regained his balance when Katlin slammed into him from behind, sending them both sprawling over the sandy floor. His wand flew from his hand and landed several feet down the passageway.

"What happened?" Katlin whispered quickly, pulling herself back to her feet.

"I tripped over something." Harry whispered back. He was already scurrying on his hands and knees towards his wand.

"Try to be more careful." Katlin replied, a slight edge in her voice this time. "We're too close to freedom to let them catch us now."

Harry quickly scrambled back to his feet with the help of a firm hand on the back of his shirt pulling him up, and once again they were off.

As they moved quickly through the passageway, Harry's thoughts began to turn more to what lay ahead than what may lay behind. If Sirius got his letter, he had very little doubt his godfather would be waiting for him at the end of the passageway. But who else would be waiting?

Sirius was an Auror. So was Arabella. Therefore, he reasoned, they would, in all likelihood, know Katlin. Katlin had even told him that she and Arabella knew each other. So they would know he was traveling with a Deatheater.

Why hadn't he taken a few extra seconds to explain what was going on to them in the letter. To tell them Katlin had risk so much, possibly even her life, to make sure he got back to them safely?

All he had said was that he was traveling with Katlin Griss. And Sirius and Arabella would surely make the connection.

Their godson was with a Deatheater.

Harry sighed as he tried to think of a way around the problem. All he had to do was get to Sirius. Explain things to him. Sirius would take care of the rest. Make sure Katlin was safe. That no one tried to arrest her.

Harry smiled at his plan.

Yes. That would work. All he had to do was be the first one up the ladder.

But how exactly how to broach the subject with Katlin without telling her what he had done? That was the trick. Harry was sure Katlin would be none too pleased to learn he had sent the letter to his godparents when she had been adamant their flight be secret. But with each step he took he knew his time was growing shorter. He had say something to her.

"Ahhhh, Katlin." He started slowly, getting her attention as he slowed down his pace through the passage-way.

"Harry, we don't have time to talk." Came the brisk answer. "The Deatheaters may not be far behind."

Harry pulled up to a solid stop. "Katlin, we have to talk." He stated resolutely. "It's important.'

The Elite stared down at him with hard, cold look in her eyes. "It had better be."

Harry paused for a second, turning to the ground before he looked back up at her again. "Katlin, maybe it would be best if I went up stairs into the castle first."

Katlin's look shifted quickly to one if utter disbelief. "That's it?" She asked. "This is all over who goes up the stairs first?" The Elite gave an exacerbated sigh as she turned the teenager around and shoved him off down the passage-way again. "Harry, I don't care if Santa Clause meets us halfway to the stairs and tells us he wants to go up first so he can deliver presents. Just as long as we keep moving."

Harry quickly headed off down the passage-way again. Well, the matter was partly settled. As long as he could get up the stairs first, he could possibly delay things long enough to explain who Katlin was and not have the other Aurors that may be there attacking her without hesitation.

But as he was laying out his plan, a hand laid itself on his shoulder and pulled him to a stop.

Harry turned around to find himself facing a very stoic looking Katlin.

"Harry," she asked in a falsely calm voice, "why is it so important to you who goes up the stairs first?"

Harry swallowed hard. He was hoping she would just accept his decision and not ask questions about his reasoning.

"Well?" She pressed.

"Ummmmm," Harry began slowly, "it's because..., well, there might be someone waiting for us at the other end."

"Who?" Came the very cold question.

"Well, maybe Sirius."

"That's all?"

"Ahhhhh, well, no."

"Harry, what have you done?" Katlin asked.

Harry could barely meet her stare now. "When we were in the cave, while you were sleeping, Hedwig, my owl, showed up. And she had a letter from Sirius."

Katlin appeared to carefully consider the information before she spoke again. "And what did you do with the letter?" She asked plainly.

Harry paused again. "Well, the ink was magic, and I could just tell it what I wanted to say and it wrote it out for me."

"And what did you tell it?"

Harry was actively fidgeting now. "Sirius was real worried. About where I was and if I was safe. I told him I was. I told him I was with you and you were taking care of me and we were trying to get back to Hogwarts."

"You told him you were with 'me'?" she ask in a voice tinged with anticipation. "Did you give 'me' a name?"

Harry nodded.

Katlin's whole demeanor seemed to deflate right before his eyes.

"Did you tell your godfather 'how' we were going to get back to Hogwarts?" She asked.

Harry nodded slightly again.

Harry heard her groan in the silence of the passageway.

"But it'll be all right, Katlin." Harry insisted.

The Elite crouched down in front of him, taking him by the shoulders as she set a hard stare on him. "Harry, what did I tell you?" she stated firmly. "What did I say about all this? That no one must know. Why do you think that was important, Harry? Why do you think I emphasized it over and over again? I am a Deatheater. No matter what I have done, no matter what I have risk, no matter what has happened, when we come out of this tunnel, that is all anyone will see."

"But I'll tell them, Katlin!" Harry insisted. "I'll make them understand you helped me."

Katlin groaned again as she lowered her head. Why did the boy have to be so trusting? So naive? Why didn't he just listen to her and do what she had said?

"I won't let them hurt you." A soft voice broken into her thoughts.

Katlin looked up again. The sheer determination in the teenager's face struck right into whatever was left of her heart.

He was so naive. He truly did believed he could convince them.

Katlin reached up and gently caressed a hand over his cheek. "Oh, Harry," she whispered, "if only it was that easy."

The desolation in her voice only made him feel that much worse. "I'll make them understand." he promised.

Katlin shook her head as she lowered it again. "Don't you understand, Harry?" she ask. "They won't believe you, my little one. They'll shove you aside and they'll come after me." She stood up and faced him with a barely held determination in her eyes. "But it's not me I'm worried about now. I've been in fights before, and I'm still here. It's you that we have to worry about."

Harry lowered his eyes. With all she could be facing, still she was worried more about him than herself.

Katlin leg go a sigh of resignation as she thought over the situation, which even in her opinion, wasn't good at best. For all the possible outcomes, she could still see their best chances only starting one way. And she didn't like it. It was too risky. To many possible outcomes.

"All right." she said finally. "We'll do it your way, Harry." she conceded. "But you listen to me this time." She crouched down in front of him again and took him once more by the shoulders. "No doing things on your own, all right?"

Harry nodded.

"You go up the ladder first. Talk all you want. But I only have one direction I can go at this point, and that is up that ladder. So if you fail to convince them," Katlin set a hard, no argument stare n the boy, "you get out f there fast. Because Harry, if I have to fight, I'll be fighting for my life. And I'll be fighting to win. You understand? You get out of the way and you do it fast. I won't have the time to see where you are and make sure you're safe any longer. I'm am simply going to be doing everything I can to get out of there alive. So don't give me one more thing to worry about. You let me know you'll do as I say."

Harry nodded firmly. "I'll do what you say, Katlin." he promised. "But you won't have to fight. I'll make them understand."

Katlin gave him a small, humorless smile. Hw could anyone be so trusting?

The rest of the trip was made in near silence. The only interruptions were Katlin stopping him suddenly with a firm hand clamped over his mouth as she would seem to stop and listen to something, then hurry him back along.

Finally Harry recognized the slow ascent of the passage and realized they were near the end. Soon they would come across the opening into the school.

"We should be near the opening." Harry whispered behind him. Ever since he had told Katlin about the letter, a new thought had come to him. One that presented a new problem.

If Sirius was there waiting for him, which he most certainly would be, Harry didn't want to risk Katlin recognizing him and saying his name. If there were others about as well, this would most certainly break the spell Moody had placed on Sirius to hide his identity. And if anyone from the Ministry was there who weren't part of Moody's plan, things could go very badly for Sirius.

As for anyone from the Ministry recognizing Katlin, Harry figured he could sort that out fast enough. Telling them that she had helped him escape and had protected him from the other Deatheaters until they got to safety. Surely that would convince them she wasn't one of Voldemort's followers.

A few more minutes past before Harry could make out the ladder that ascended up the back of the hump-backed witch in the corridor of the castle.

"That's it!" Harry all but cried out in relief. "We're here."

"Shhhhh!" Katlin hissed from behind him. "Magic, child! Don't you know anything about being covert?"

Harry turned back to her. "I'm sorry, Katlin." he apologized quickly. "But, ummmm...," he quickly took to studying his shoes, "there's one more thing I have to tell you."

Katlin's expression fell. What else had the child done? She steeled herself up. "All right. Let's get it out now."

Harry still didn't look at her. "Ummmmmm..., it just that, you see, Sirius...everyone still believes he killed my parents. And they're still looking for him. So Mad-Eye Moody...he placed this spell on Sirius, s that no one who didn't know him really well wouldn't see him. They'd see someone else when they looked at him."

"I'm very impressed." Katlin said dully. "But I fail t see the relevance, Harry."

"Well, the only way anyone who doesn't know him will recognize Sirius is if someone days his name in their presence."

"Ah!" Katlin said, finally getting the point. "I see. And you're afraid I'll say his name?"

Harry gave a small nod.

"Harry, believe me, if I see your godfather, his name is the last thing I'll be calling him."

But despite the boy's obvious look of relief, Katlin wasn't so sure it was warranted.

So Moody had placed a spell on Sirius s he wouldn't be recognized? Well, that explained a lot. And she could certainly use that to her advantage. Saying his name and breaking the spell would no doubt create panic and possibly just enough cover for her to slip away. All she would have to do then was find a way out or the Headmaster's office. Either way she'd be safe then. Out of the castle she could escape easily enough. Or if she got trapped inside, but could find the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore would never hand her over to the Ministry, knowing what her fate would be.

Katlin shook her head in resignation. As good as the prospects were to her advantage, she could never place Sirius in that situation without warning. No matter what else, he was still her brother-in-law. Still Orion's baby brother.

He was still family.

Slowly she turned back to Harry. "Don't worry, Harry." she promised, "I won't say anything. Now," she said, gesturing to the waiting ladder, "off you go."

Katlin waited at the bottom of the stairs none too patiently. She waited for the boy to give her some sort of signal everything was all right. But no sound came from the area above her.

No sound at all.

Katlin had to almost physically fight the urge to whisper up to the teenager, asking what was going on. But finally she decided the ball had been in her court too long and it was time to do something.

She had been in tougher situations. She could go back, or go forward. Those were her choices. And the Aurors likely already had the back end of the tunnel guarded for her escape. Her best option was to try going up the ladder and fight her way out if she had to. Maybe Black was the only one there. Sirius knew her. He didn't like her, but he knew her. She was his sister-in-law. He would listen to her.

Katlin mounted the first rung of the ladder and slowly started her ascent. Each subsequent rung was mounted so silently that not a single sound echoed up the round hole. As she reached the last rung, wrapping her hand over the thin bar, she reached into her robe for her wand. If she had to fight, she was prepa...

Katlin froze. She could positively feel the blood draining from her face. Her hand began a frantic search, and within seconds, knowing the frightening answer, let go of the top rung she held onto for support.

Katlin prepared herself to take the fall. But her control of things was further thrown off when a hand reached down and grabbed hold of her's, preventing her fall. With a single swift move Katlin found herself yanked out of the hole and up into the cold air of the corridor.

She hit the ground with a solid thump, nearly knocking the wind out of her. The grip on her wrist didn't let go until it had slammed her against the floor. Just from the sound around her she judged her adversaries to number ten at least. Trying to get to her feet, Katlin lashed out and caught hold of one of the people standing nearest to her. She didn't much care who it was. Her whole body was centered solely on its own defense. She swung the body in her grip about and threw it off in the opposite direction. That was where they would least suspect the attack. Where they were least prepared.

Katlin dove after the body. It was her chance for escape, using the path she had just cleared for herself. but as she drove headlong towards the opening, other hand seized her and pulled her back.

Katlin spun about and found herself facing a young wizard with dark hair. She immediately seized hold of the front of his robes and was about to use him as her new battering ram when someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her backwards. slamming into the wall behind her, Katlin's sole purpose shifted quickly to getting back to her feet.

In a mad, half-frantic scramble, she made for an opening she saw in the wall of bodies and sprinted for it. But the words that followed her froze her blood.

"No wand!"

The shout went through the group like a victory cry.

For Harry, he didn't need to be an Auror to know what the call meant.

Katlin didn't have her wand.

She was defenseless.

Harry had seen the Aurors attack Deatheaters before. He had seen how they had done it when he and Sirius and Arabella had been apparated to the open field and the Aurors had saved them from an ambush. At the time he had been almost a bit horrified at how precise the Aurors were in their actions. It had been almost merciless. But now they had a totally defenseless Deatheater, trapped within the walls of the castle. To Harry there was no point in them doing anything. There was nowhere for her to go.

But the Aurors didn't see it that way at all.

The first spell that struck her took her down immediately in a scream of pain. Harry jumped in his godfather's grip at the sound. Nothing that had happened to them in the past few days had managed such a sound out of her.

It wasn't just pain.

It was defeat.

If she could shake off the effects of the spell, she wasn't given the chance before the next one hit her. But this time she bit back the pain and made no sound, although her teeth were fighting to hold the cry back.

The act didn't settle well with the Aurors, who seemed determined to be rewarded for their efforts.

Another spell hit Katlin as she fought her way back to her feet. If she could have silenced her cry of pain against one spell, she failed completely as the next one hit her within seconds of the first. Harry screamed behind his godfather's hand for them to stop. She hadn't hurt him. She had saved his life. Why were they doing this? She wasn't fighting back. She couldn't. What they were doing was pointless and cruel.

Harry watched past tear-filled eyes as the woman who had been his protector for several long, arduous days, finally collapsed to the stone floor. Two of the Aurors cautiously approached her. One of the two pulled his foot back, obviously intent on giving the body a good kick. But as he swung his foot at the prone figure, a hand darted out and seized hold. Giving the leg a sharp pull, the man was instantly on his back on the ground. Katlin moved so quickly, Harry could hardly register what she was doing. In an instant she had the man pinned to the ground and was reaching over his right hand.

She was trying for his wand.

A blot of light hit her square in the back. She jerked back, but didn't abandon her attempt. Two more Aurors rushed forward and seized her by the arms and all but yanked her to her feet.

Secured between them, a third Auror approached the other two who were holding the still struggling woman.

"Katlin Griss." The man announced formally. "You are under arrest by the Ministry of Magic for crimes against the wizarding community and unprovoked attacks against muggles."

Katlin didn't miss the opportunity being handed to her. In the middle of the man's pronouncement, she spit directly into his face.

"Your laws mean nothing to me." She hissed at him. "I serve only Lord Voldemort. And only he has the right to judge me for my acts."

The man returned her act with a solid slap across the face. "I'll take you to Azkaban personally." He stated in a low, level tone. "And I'll dance for every day you rot there."

Harry continued to struggle in his godfather's hold. Why didn't Katlin stop fighting? Why didn't she just let him tell them the truth? How she had protected him. Fought against her own people. Done everything she could to make sure he got back to Hogwart's safely.

Abruptly Harry felt himself dragged along with Sirius as his godfather turned and left the corridor. Harry tried once more to shake off the hold on him, but Sirius held on tight.

Harry never got to see his godmother as she followed Sirius, stopping in front of the restrained woman, her eyes burning with a cold fury.

"How dare you?" She hissed at her in a low voice. "How dare you do something like this? To him? To Harry? Of all people? You're fortunate the Aurors got you first. Because I wish it had been me, for I'd have killed you on the spot."

Katlin gave the woman a cold smile. "Ask nicely, Figg, and the gentlemen may grant you your wish."

Arabella stared back at the woman for a few more seconds, then followed after Sirius out the same door.

****

Q&A

Runaway

Silverfox:

Indeed, Orion's poor parents are in for a bit of a shock. But Orion didn't exactly spring it on them point blank. He did tell them before arranging the meeting. So, knowing that their daughter-in-law is a Deatheater, and an Elite no less, one would have to assume that since they agreed to the meeting, they decided to be fair about it and give her the benefit of the doubt.

Actually, Sirius has a lot of issue with his sister-in-law, and yes, she is not exactly holding a winning hand. But knowing what I do and what you don't, allow me to say that there is a lot more going on in this chapter than you are seeing. In fact, once you get to chapter ten (I think) of Family Relations, you might want to go back and re-read these last three chapters, as well as the opening nine of Family Relations, knowing at that point what you weren't seeing before. Not everyone's reactions are based on what you are seeing up front.

But I like Harry naive. He so...so...cute that way. Beats the snot out of Rowling's 'new and improved' kick-ass Harry of Book V in my opinion. He was just so much more likable in Books I through IV.

Hmmmm..., A Black Family Christmas. Sounds like the title of a story.

Personally, I would love to be a bird. I would take nearly anything, except something people consider tasty.

****

Family Relations

x-faux-x:

Yes, yes. I know it's spring. But when I set that deadline I wasn't working on a TV script and a new novel. I'm also doing that job thing and going to classes while working a second job.

Thankfully school and second job disappear in mid-April, (hopefully) and with my surgery looming ever closer, I'll have a full week or two off to just sit in front of my computer and relax while I type. I am soooooooooooooooooo looking forward to that!

Oh no, Dear. Give poor Arabella a chance! Innocent until proven guilty. (Did you people really learn NOTHING from the Aaron Richards incident?) She had such a good reason for what she did! Give her a chance!

As for Family Life, poor Arabella did the best she could with what she had. And Sirius was often in a very difficult position, torn between his godson and Arabella. Choices are not always easy.

I am very pleased you like Orion. He is also one of my favorite OC's. Mostly because he is just so much fun to write. He is your typical obnoxious male, who, mostly on the part of his wife, must constantly face the fact he is not 'all that', as they say. He is also dealing with an impossible situation in probably the best possible way. Faced with a family legacy that was none too pleasing, he chose to see it in his own way rather than the one that was being presented. And in doing so has opened the 'Power' up to what it was meant to be to the family more than any of his predecessors. Bo was never meant to be a curse to the Black family. He was meant to be an asset. (See what your missing by not reading Enemies?) But he is a very fun character and I enjoy him immensely.

Why shouldn't he remind you of Sirius? They are brothers. And more alike than either will admit.

All right, I have been slapped with this many times and I whole heartedly admit it. No, Orion is not the fastest horse on the track sometimes. But he is incredibly methodical. Like a dog with a bone, once he has a hold of something, he never lets go until he's satisfied he's finished with it.

Also, in his complete defense I would like to point out Orion is not use to children. This is despite that he has five of his own. He is your typical 'bring home the bacon' dad. He leaves child rearing to Katlin, since she is, after all, a woman, and naturally equipped better for that sort of thing. He relates to his sons fairly well, because they are, after all, 'men'. But his daughters? They just scare him mostly. Now mind you, that is not to say they can not turn the charm on dad and melt him like playdough in the microwave. But poor Orion is n better equipped to handle a teenage daughter than any other adult male. And actually, if you want t get technical, the person responsible for most of the child rearing in the Black household, since both mom and dad work, is...Bo.

Poor Bo. Try getting away from a four year old who thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread.

So, in the end, yes, it was a bit stupid of him to leave before he fund out if Harry could apparate or not. But with the boy in his brother's association for the last nearly three years, Orion simply assumed this was something Sirius would think it was fun to teach Harry.

And if none of that des it for you, then simply except that Orion is a man, and you know what they are like. (Unless you are one, in which case, you don't.)

Orion isn't conceited to assume Harry is better off with him, he's absolutely sure of it. Whether or not he is right remains to be seen.

Spite? 100 per cent correct, Dear. It was pure, unquestioned, undisguised, here it is, up in your face, spite. And, just to make sure, Orion rubbed it in at the end. The justification here is not what he did, it's 'why'.

Now the 'concern' part is bit tricky. To Orion, at the moment, Harry is an assignment. 'Protect'. That's his job and all he is there for. It's not that he doesn't like Harry, or care about him. But when it comes to his work, Orion can be very single minded. But he is Sirus' godson, and Orion's near-nephew, and he will, therefore, get a little better than average treatment. But keep in mind, Orion just isn't that great with kids overall. They make him nervous. They don't do what they are told, they always argue with you, you're always wrong, they are always right, and in the end, as the old saying goes, 'trying to raise a teenager is like trying to nail Jello to a tree'.

Well, not reading Enemies is your choice. Dear, but you will be handicapped on several fronts. One, you'll have no idea who she is. Two, you have no idea the role she plays in the other characters lives. Three, you have no idea what relationship she has with Harry, which you actually get reading Runaway, and four, you're just missing out on a really good story.

See her faults? According to her husband, she hasn't got any.

All reviews are as of 03/27/2005.

And remember;

A very Happy Easter to you all. (Or whatever you celebrate this season of the year.)


	8. Chapter Eight: Runaway

A/N: Yes, author's notes this time. Just a few, and they might amuse you.

First off, just to mystify and amaze you, I'll let you know that this is actually the first chapter I wrote of Runaway. Yup, my whole story started with the last chapter. Hence, also, the title of this chapter.

Second, technically, this is the last chapter, but you sort of get an Epilogue about what happened to help tie up loose ends.

Lastly, it is in that true final chapter you get to finally meet Hershal Bennett, who is, I feel, self-explanatory. Although you get a much more detailed description of him in Family Relations, this is your 'warm-up'. And while there's a lot about the man to warm up to, there are also parts that'll freeze your blood.

You'll see what I mean next time.

Also, there is a LOT happening in this chapter, folks. I know I promised no convoluted, covert, hidden meaning stuff. But you have to understand, one, that's just me. It's how I write. You can take the girl out of the country...and all that. Next, this story, if you haven't kept track, happens just weeks before the start of Family Relations (Forgot that, didn't you?). Therefore, this story ties into the whole Family story arch. So there are bound to be things in here that I can't be to specific about. Many of them you have already picked up on and most of them having to do with the relationships between characters and how they are reacting to each other.

OK. Those are just a few things to think about.

And while you're doing that,

as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still trying to prove something here? I can barely afford to pay attention, let alone entertain myself, and I STILL have more of a life than you. How's that for a disclaimer? Ha!

****

CHAPTER EIGHT: RUNAWAY

"What's going to happen to her?" Harry asked after he had watched the ministry members take Katlin away and Sirius released his hand from over his mouth.

"Most likely she'll receive a sentence in Azkaban." Arabella replied, turning him towards the door of the chamber.

But Harry stopped short. "What? Azkaban? But...but why?"

"She has to pay for her crimes, Harry." Sirius answered him in a solemn tone that was equally reflected in his expression. "And Katlin Griss has a lot to answer for."

"But...but she helped me, Sirius. If it wasn't for her I would never have gotten away from Voldemort."

"Do you know that for sure?"

Harry paused. "What do you mean?"

"Voldemort isn't stupid, Harry. And I find it very difficult to believe that with all his forces out looking for you and Katlin, that they couldn't find you. Katlin has the Dark Mark. Voldemort should have been able to track her by that alone."

"But she removed it. She showed me how..."

"Removed it?" Sirius sounded more shocked than intrigued by the news. "How?"

"I don't know. She preformed a spell that removed it. But she..."

"And after years of loyal service to Voldemort," Sirius cut him off sternly, frowning deeply at the explanation, "she suddenly decides for no reason to take his most valuable prisoner and run? Why?"

"She said...she said it was because she felt sorry for me." Harry answered in a quieter tone.

"Rather sudden change of heart." Sirius replied coldly. "Harry, that woman has killed people, you understand? Ones that Arabella and I knew. She is very cold and very ruthless."

"She didn't act that way with me."

"Did you ever consider that maybe that was exactly what it was, Harry?" Arabella asked gently. "Acting?"

Harry looked up at her.

Arabella crouched down in front of her godson, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You said yourself that your escape seemed rather easy."

"Katlin knew where we were going. She said she knew a lot of secret passages, like at..."

Harry stopped abruptly.

"Like what, Harry?" Arabella asked in the same gentle voice.

Harry continued in a very distant sounding voice, as though as he was speaking, his mind was also working furiously to sort something out. "She said that Voldemort's lair was catacombed with secret passages, just like...at Hogwarts. She said she knew a lot of them, just like she would guess I knew a lot of the ones at Hogwarts."

Arabella glanced at Sirius for a moment. But for the moment he seemed lost in thought somewhere, staring ahead of him with a blank sort of expression. Arabella slowly turned back to Harry, not taking her eyes off the man next to her until the last moment.

"Did you tell her about any of them, Harry?" she ask quietly.

Harry shook his head. "She asked once or twice, but when I told her I couldn't tell her, she didn't press me on it."

Arabella gave him a consolatory look. "Harry, the ministry believes that this whole...event, was orchestrated."

"Orchestrated?"

""We found out later that the Ministry knew a lot more than they were originally telling us. They knew you were captured by Voldemort, they knew you had escaped, and they knew who you were with. Based on the path you took, or more the one Katlin took you on, they believe her plan all along was to get you to show her a secret way into Hogwarts. One she could report back to Voldemort."

"They're wrong!" Harry nearly shouted at her. "They don't know everything that happened. Katlin couldn't have planned the things that happened. Arabella, she fell...off a cliff. She was hurt really bad. That was why I suggested the passage. Katlin never even brought it up."

"Harry," Arabella replied, trying to keep her voice sounding reasonable, "Katlin is a very smart, very clever, very devious woman. She can make anything seem like a normal progression of events. Make you think things were your idea when she's just been leading you towards it all along."

"She didn't jump off that cliff." Harry protested.

"I'm not saying she did, Harry." Arabella answered him. "I am only suggesting she took advantage of the circumstances to get what she wanted."

Harry looked up at his godfather. "It wasn't a set-up, Sirius. She was really trying to help me. I would have known."

Sirius seemed to have snapped out of his thoughts a few seconds before Harry turned his attention back to him. For a few seconds he simply stared down at his godson, as though the whole scene was new to him. But he quickly mask the look behind a grim expression. "Harry, I'm the last one to discount entirely that someone could have a change of heart for the strangest or the best placed reasons. And maybe she did. But that doesn't change the fact that she has a great deal she has to answer for still."

Harry stood stock still as he watched the ministry aurors leading Katlin away. He expected her to look back. He desperately wanted her to for some reason. But she never did. She simply walked straight-backed down the hallway between her two guards, her eyes only staring ahead of her. Ahead and behind her four more aurors walked, keeping a close guard on their prisoner.

"I want to see her." Harry said suddenly.

Arabella looked down at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Before they take her to Azkaban. I want to see her."

Sirius turned to his godson.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Harry." He replied. "Katlin is a very dangerous woman. You're better off just letting the ministry handle her now."

"I was with her for days, Sirius." Harry answered. "She never once hurt me, or ever put me in danger before herself. She did everything she could to protect me. If she's as bad as you say, and she goes to Azkaban, they may let the Dementors give her the Kiss. And then I'll never know if it was all a lie. And I want to know." Harry turned to his godfather. "I have to know, Sirius."

"She likely won't tell you, Harry."

"But at least I will have asked." Harry looked more pleadingly at his godfather. "Sirius, I have to know. And once they take her to Azkaban, I'll never have the chance to find out."

Sirius sighed quietly as he glanced at Arabella.

"All right, Harry." Arabella answered for him. "You can see her. But Sirius or I will have to be with you."

"No!" Harry spoke up quickly.

"Harry..."

"If one of you is there, she may not tell the truth. She'll say what she thinks you want to hear. Anything to make herself look innocent."

"You sound like you already know her answer." Sirius observed.

Harry stood for a moment, staring at the door they had taken Katlin through a few minutes before.

"I have to know the truth, Sirius." He replied in a whisper. "I just have to."

"Why is it so important to you? Tell me that." Sirius asked in the same quiet tone.

"Because if she lied...if this was all just some...trap, then I'll know better what they're capable of. And I'll never trust another Deatheater as long as I live."

Sirius sighed quietly to himself. He glanced once more at Arabella, who gave him a slow, cautious nod.

"All right, Harry." He said. "I'll see what I can do. But there are no guarantees. The ministry may not allow it."

Harry only nodded in reply.

They had to let him see her.

And it had to be alone.

****

(SCENE CHANGE)

Harry hardly caught more than a few hours sleep that night. But it wasn't for lack of trying but more for the effort he put in to stay awake. 

Laying in his bed he listened to the castle settle down. Well into three in the morning he finally slipped silently out of bed, and headed out the door of the room he was placed in, and headed down the corridor.

His course was painfully slow as he jumped at nearly every sound. More than anything he wished he had his father's map to help guide him. But it was locked in his trunk at Arabella's house. So all he had to rely on was his hearing and his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity he made it to the humpbacked witch's statue. Slowly he opened the door to the secret passage and hurried down the stairs. If he was right, what he was looking for was somewhere in the passage. And he only had a few precious hours to find it.

**(SCENE CHANGE)**

The next day Arabella woke Harry up earlier than his usual time.

"Come on, Harry." She stated, coming over and opening the curtains to his room, letting the first rays of the morning sun shine in. "Time to get up."

Harry squinted against the bright light as he glanced at his alarm clock.

"But it's only eight." He stated, falling back on the bed. "Why do I have to get so early?"

"Sirius and I are taking you to the ministry today."

Harry sat straight up in his bed. "They're going to allow me to see Katlin?"

Arabella came over and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Yes." She replied softly, meeting his eager stare. "And they agreed to allow you to see her alone. Something I think Dumbledore had a lot to do with."

"Dumbledore?"

"Yes. He's been strongly advocating the Ministry sparing Katlin the Kiss. To give her a life sentence in Azkaban instead. Though for the life of me, I can't say why. But Sirius and I are to take you there this morning and you'll be allowed a brief visit with her. Then she will be taken to Azkaban. But Harry," Arabella added, taking his hands in her's as she stared at them for a minute, then slowly turned her eyes to meet her godson's stare, "I want you to listen very carefully to me. Katlin Griss is a very dangerous woman."

"I know that, Arabella."

Arabella tugged lightly at his hands. "Harry, just listen."

Harry nodded.

"She is very dangerous. Even more so now. She knows where she's going and she knows what is likely going to happen to her. She will do anything she has to to get out of that jail cell before that. And you are going to be her greatest, and likely last, opportunity to do so. So you listen very carefully to me, and you remember what I tell you. You don't go anywhere close to her cell, you understand? You stay with your back to the opposite wall. Talk to her all you want, but don't you go anywhere near those bars. If she gets a hold of you, you are likely dead. You understand? All you are to her is a means to an end. Once you've served your purpose, you are a burden, and she will get rid of you without a thought. So, my little one," she added, letting go of one of his hands as she wrapped her fingers under his chin, holding his face as she met his stare with a fierce determination born of her own experience and fear for her godson, "you stay away from her, you understand?"

Harry nodded as much as he could under Arabella grip.

"If anything happens to you in there, Sirius and I will never forgive ourselves for having let you go there. And that woman will be just as dead. Because we will both hunt her down and leave nothing but ashes for the wind to scatter."

Harry pulled back slowly from Arabella grip as she released it. Her tone had frightened him just a little. Arabella's voice had always been so soft spoken. So kind and solicitous. But now it was hard and cold. With an edge to it that left no room for doubt in Harry's mind she meant every word.

"I'll be careful, Arabella." Was all he could think to say to her in reply.

"All right then." She said in her usual gentle voice once again. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead as she got up. "Come downstairs and have some breakfast. We'll leave right after that."

Harry couldn't deny he was nervous as they led him down the corridor to the holding cells. Although the corridor was lined with small cells, it remained absolutely silent. Every cell was empty now. The wizards out front had explained that the other prisoners had been moved as a precaution, leaving Katlin as the only resident of that hallway. She was placed in the last cell at the end of the corridor, and several magic barriers had been erected down the hallway to keep her from escaping should she get out. As they stopped for the guard to lift the last barrier, Harry almost asked if all the precautions weren't a bit of over-kill for one prisoner. But he didn't want to do or say anything that would make them think he didn't appreciate the gravity of the situation. If that happened, it was less likely they would allow him to be alone in the hallway to talk to her.

As they approached the cell, Harry glanced around the guard in front of him. Inside the small cell Katlin sat on a short, narrow bench, showing no sign at all that she even knew anyone was there. She was dressed now, not in her usual black Deatheater robes, but in a plain, simple gray one. Her long auburn hair fell around her shoulders like a silk veil.

But it was the expression on her face that caught Harry the most. Even at the darkest, most imperiled times of their escape from the lair did Katlin ever look so lost or hopeless as she did now. Her face was very pale, and she looked as though she hadn't slept for days on end. Her two violet eyes stared absently in front of her as though she were completely lost in thought, somewhere a thousand miles away from where she actually was. The only thing that seemed out of place was her smile. It was a very small, oddly sad sort of smile that only added to her forelorned expression.

"Griss!" The guard practically yelled her name as he hit the bars with a small bar he was carrying.

Katlin jumped slightly. Harry had no doubt whatsoever that she honestly hadn't noticed they were there.

"You have a visitor."

Katlin's attention shifted to Harry. He had hoped seeing him would change her expression a little, but it didn't. The same sad look met his eyes as the guard kept talking. "Fifteen minutes. No more. You know the rules. No contact."

Harry nodded as he watched the guard head back down the corridor.

"It's very kind of you to come and see me, Harry." Katlin said as Harry watched the guard out of the corner of his eye. But he finally turned his full attention to Katlin as he heard the door close down the corridor.

"You looked a million miles away." He said softly. "I don't even think you noticed when we were standing in front of you."

Katlin gave him the same sad smile that had been on her lips then. "I wasn't." She replied. "I was thinking of someone else. And how they were feeling right now."

"Who was that?"

Katlin's smile grew that much sadder. "My husband."

Harry looked shocked. "You're married?"

The small laugh that answered him surprised Harry. "Didn't imagine that in your wildest dreams? A married Deatheater?" She asked. But the laugh had died as quickly as it had come. "Well, I am, Harry. But I haven't seen my husband in...in what seems like forever."

"Does he know what's happened?"

Katlin nodded slowly as she turned her face to the ground. "I'm sure he does. There's no way he wouldn't know."

Harry had to strain to hear her as her voice grew quieter. "Is he a Deatheater too?"

Katlin shook her head slightly. Harry thought he saw her lips move, but he didn't hear the audible answer.

Katlin fell silent again for a few moments. "When you first came, I was sitting here...thinking of how he felt. How frightened he must be. Knowing there is no way he can help me. Nothing he can do. He must be terrified."

Her voice trailed off on the last few words to the point that, again, Harry barely hear them at all.

"You really love him a lot, don't you?"

Katlin turned her face back to him, quickly wiping her hands over her face as she forced a smile across her lips. "You have no idea." She replied in as normal sounding a voice as she could manage. "And that still isn't half as much as he has loved me." Her voice faltered slightly as she fought hard to maintain it. "He has always loved me. Never caring about what I was, who I was, or what I may have done. He loved me unconditionally."

She paused as her hand came up to her throat. For the first time Harry noticed a small silver chain there. She slowly pulled it from beneath the neckline of the robe she wore, freeing a small pendent from underneath the material.

"I never understood why he loved me so much." She said absently as she rubbed the little piece of jewelry between her fingers. To Harry it looked like a small diamond enclosed in a circle of gold. "He never turned his back on me, or deserted me, or judged me for what I was." She went on slowly closing her eyes. "And now he is sitting in our home...alone...waiting. And the doorbell will ring, and they'll be standing there...looking so righteous and formal and pleased with themselves as they tell him oh-so-officially what they did to me, because he is someone who would be told. And they'll have no real idea what they're telling him. That they...," her voice broke for a second before she recovered it and went on, "...that they just killed his wife.

And that is how they'll leave him. Alone. And that is how he'll grieve. With no one to give him any comfort because the only ones who know...won't care."

Harry could think of absolutely nothing to say to her. Nothing that would give her any comfort from those thoughts. But as he watched her, Katlin reached behind her and unfastened the chin from around her neck. The small pendent and chain slowly slipped into her hand. She stared at it for a few seconds before she turned back to him.

"Someone would just steal this off of my body later." She said sadly. "No real point in a catatonic piece of flesh having jewelry that could be sold for good money." She held it out to him. "I want you to make sure he gets that, Harry. That is the only thing I would ask you to do for me now. Make sure my husband gets this back. It is the only small comfort I can offer him."

Without even asking or making the suggestion to Harry that he come to get it, Katlin tossed the small piece of jewelry at the bars. It went easily through them and Harry just barely managed to catch it in time.

"Who is he?" He asked as he looked over the small pendent, surprised to see it wasn't a single piece, but two. A small diamond pendent and a gold ring.

"I can't tell you that." Katlin replied softly, the smallest laugh echoing on her voice. "He'd kill me."

Harry looked back up at her. "Then how can I give it to him?"

"I didn't ask you to give it to him, just make sure he gets it."

"How do I do that?"

"Give it to your godfather."

"Sirius?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Did you recently find another one?"

Harry shook his head.

Katlin smiled slightly. "Yes. Give it to Sirius. He'll know what to do with it."

Harry was about to ask how Sirius would know what to do with the pendent when he glanced at his watch. Five minutes had already gone by. There wasn't a lot of time left.

"Katlin, can I asked you something?" Harry said, taking a few steps closer to the cell.

"Well, if you have questions, I would suggest you get to them now." She replied flatly. "I don't think I'll be much for answering them anymore in a few hours."

Harry paled slightly at the image, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

"Would you have told Voldemort about the passage?" Harry asked quickly, not sure he even wanted to know the answer.

Katlin lifted her head and stared back at him. For a long time Harry wasn't sure if she was going to answer him or not.

"That was the plan, Harry." she said finally in low, flat tone. "If you believe the story the Ministry has pieced together."

"But would you have?"

Katlin paused again as though she were deeply considering her answer. But she eventually turned the same flat expression to Harry.

"No." She answered simply.

"Why not?"

"For two reasons, Harry." She replied. "The first is simple enough to understand. Voldemort wanted me to take you from the lair and get you to show me the passage into Hogwart's. He had heard rumors of such a passage, but no real proof it existed."

Harry paled slightly at hearing her confirm so coldly what he had been told. "What made him think I did?" He managed to ask in a calm voice.

Katlin shrugged slightly. "A hope. A hunch. Call it what you will. Once that was done, I'm sure he fully expected me to kill you."

Harry pulled back slightly at the revelation. But before he could think of anything to say in answer, Katlin continued.

"For my own reasons, I couldn't let Voldemort find that passage. So, I had two problems. One, prove the passage didn't exist, and have an excuse you were still alive. The only solution I could come up with wasn't the best one I had hoped to find. But it presented itself as the only one."

"To get captured?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Katlin gave a small laugh. "Oh no. That was most definitely not part of the plan. I suspected you were in contact with someone the closer we got to the castle. Especially when your owl showed up. More so when she returned when we were in Hogsmeade."  
"You knew about Hedwig at the cave?"

"Suspected. I thought I had heard an owl. When I saw you outside the cave, I felt certain something was up. And if you were communicating with someone, I didn't see it as a problem at the time. Then, once we were in the castle, the problem of what to do with you was solved. I couldn't harm you in the castle. And I suspected there would be a welcoming committee once we came out of the passage. And I was prepared for them...or at least I thought I was."

"You were going to fight."

"I was going to get out, Harry. And likely not without some damage to myself. But that would all work in my favor. Due to a little 'inside' guidance, I don't think I would have had to ki...injure too many of those I was fighting. I could have fought my way out, gotten past the anti-apparation barriers, and returned to the lair. I had planned to tell Voldemort that the passage didn't exist that you knew of. That we had had to enter the castle through the main grounds and that we had encountered the Ministry while trying to sneak back in. There had been a fight, you were whisk off to safety, and I barely managed to escape. A story all backed-up by my surely less than unharmed condition. Past that I only had punishment to get past for failing my mission. But surely a lesser evil than had I succeeded.

But the lose of my wand changed everything. Suddenly I was helpless. I had no way to fight."

"And the second reason?" Harry asked when she didn't continue.

"Not that I'm sure it'll mean anything to you, Harry, but because I promised you I wouldn't."

Harry gave her a small smile. "It means a lot to me, Katlin." He answered. Harry took a few more steps, placing himself right against the bars to the cell. "And if you had your wand, could you get out of here?" He asked quietly.

Katlin's head snapped up at the question. "If I hadn't been a fool and lost it in that blasted tunnel, yes."

Harry reached into his shirt sleeve and slipped the small piece of polished wood out and slid it up against the inside of the bar he had his hand wrapped around.

"And suppose someone found it?" He asked in a whisper.

He had swept over nearly every inch of the passageway last night trying to find the wand. He had felt certain that that had been the only place Katlin could have lost it. And his hunch had paid off nearly three hours later when he found it laying on the dirt floor near the opening at Honeydukes. Apparently it had slipped free of her robes when they had fallen and he had lost hold of his own wand.

Getting it into the jail hadn't been as hard as he had anticipated. Several days into their trek back to the school, Katlin had taught him a very complex concealment spell. She said it might come in useful along the way, but he was sure she never meant that he might need to use it to slip her wand past Ministry security. But in the end, that was just what he had used it for.

Katlin's attention fixed solidly on the wand Harry still had his hand wrapped around.

"And what is the price for that, Harry?" She asked quietly.

"I didn't asked for anything."

"Not mine. Yours."

Harry gave her a confused look.

"I didn't have it when I came here, Harry. And you're the only person who has come to see me." She said carefully. "They'll know who gave it to me."

"They searched me when I came in. I didn't have it."

Katlin smiled slightly. "And how did you manage that?"

"Someone taught me a really good concealment spell once."

Katlin's smile grew a little longer. "Such a clever boy." She replied in a soft purr of a voice.

"So they'll have no idea how you got it."

Katlin got slowly to her feet with the same feline grace she had always had and walked over to the bars. She wrapped her hand about the same bar, slipping each of her fingers carefully around the wand. "All right then," she asked softly, but all of the seductiveness out of her tone now, "what's my price?"

"One thing." Harry replied.

"What?"

"You don't hurt anyone getting out of here."

Katlin frowned. "I won't 'kill' anyone. How's that?"

Harry stared back at her as he tightened his fingers around the wand.

"They're not going to stand aside and let me walk out of here, Harry. I'll have to fight my way out. Someone is going to get hurt. But I will swear I won't try to kill anyone, all right?"

Harry held her stare for a few minutes, his fingers still wrapped tightly about the wand.

Studying him for a minute, Katlin finally sighed quietly to herself. "If you're still that uncertain about it, Harry," she said softly, slowly uncurling her fingers from about the bar, "then it's wrong." She stepped back, pulling her hand away from the bars as she let go of the wand. "Take it and leave. The concealment spell will still work if they search you again on the way out."

The door at the end of the hallway suddenly opened.

"Time." The guard announced as he headed down the hallways towards them. Harry watched the man approach, undoing the invisible barriers as he approached them. He turned quickly back to Katlin, who gave him a small, wavering smile.

"Go home to your godparents, Harry." She said gently. "And in a few hours, it'll all be over. And I don't want you to think about it anymore, all right?"

Harry stared at her through the bars, his eyes blurred with tears as he fought them back.

Harry turned to see the guard still several yards down the hallway.

"Go on, Harry." Katlin told him, also turning to see where the guard was. "Take what you have, while you still can, and go home."

Harry turned quickly back to her. "At least hug me goodbye." He said loud enough for the guard to hear.

Katlin gave him a slightly stunned look. "What?"

"Hug me goodbye." Harry repeated, his eyes quickly darting up to the wand still held against the bars.

Katlin followed his stare, then turned back to him. "You're sure?"

Harry nodded quickly.

Katlin stepped back from the bars slightly and waited patiently for the guard to arrive.

"Here!" The man announced again as he stepped up to Harry. "You're not suppose to be near the bars!"

"The boy wants a hug goodbye." Katlin stated flatly, staring at the man. "Is that allowed?"

The man seemed to consider the request.

"It would mean a lot to me." Harry stated pleadingly, blinking quickly so that a few tears brimmed over in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

That seemed to be all that was needed to nudge the guard enough.

"It'll have to be through the bars." He stated. "Prisoners aren't allowed out of the cell and visitors aren't allowed in."

Katlin moved carefully as not to alarm the guard by any sudden movements and slowly wrapped her hand about the bar just above Harry's.

As soon as Harry felt her hand tighten above his on the bar, he let go of the wand. Despite his actions, he still felt the nudge of uncertainty as he pulled his hand back from the bar. And letting go of the wand felt like the hardest thing he had ever done. No matter what, he realized at that moment that there was no turning back any longer. Whatever happened, he would irrevocably be a part of it.

But just the same, keeping with the pretense, Harry slipped his arms through the bars and wrapped them tightly about Katlin's thin waist. And though he tried, he couldn't stop his body from tensing a little as he felt her slip her free arm about his upper body and pull him gently against the bars. Visions of her in Azkaban assaulted him and sent a wave of fear through him.

But just as quickly Katlin let him go.

Stepping back, Harry stared up at her.

"Now go home, Harry." She stated simply, almost eager, it seemed to Harry, for him to be gone.

As Harry continued to stare at her, he noticed her fingers working around the bar. Knowing what he was looking for, he realized that she was carefully shifting the wand's position so that it was completely out of the guard's line of sight. And thankfully, due to it's dark coloring, it blended in well with the dark steel color of the bar.

Harry turned to the guard, and to his sudden panic, noted that the man was carefully looking over the cell, making sure nothing was amiss.

Suddenly he understood why Katlin had sounded so eager for him to leave. She needed him to distract the guard.

Harry turned abruptly and hurried around the man, headed quickly away from the cell.

"All right then," he heard the man saying behind him as he continued down the hallway, "no need to rush."

Harry turned around. To his relief, the guard was following closely after him. He gave one last glance down the hallway to Katlin's cell. But she was no where in sight. Not even her hand on the bar was visible anymore, and Harry wondered, as the first barrier was taken down, if she was already working on her escape.

****

(SCENE CHANGE)

That night, Harry came downstairs to the livingroom to find Sirius sitting on the sofa. He had heard Arabella go up to bed a few minutes before, so he was certain he would find Sirius alone.

"Sirius?" Harry asked as he came into the livingroom.

Sirius turned about on the couch.

"It's a bit past your bedtime isn't it, Harry?" He asked, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"I needed to talk to you for a minute." Harry replied, sitting himself on the sofa next to his godfather.

"Couldn't you have done this at dinner?"

Harry shook his head. "I wanted to talk to you alone."

Sirius gave him a concerned look. "All right, Harry." He replied. "What's on your mind?"

Harry slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out Katlin's necklace. He held it up for Sirius to see.

"Katlin Griss gave that to me in the jail." He stated simply.

Sirius eyed the small necklace, but made no move to take it from his godson. "Why?" He asked.

Harry paused for a moment, then turned to Sirius. "She asked me to make sure her husband got it. And she said...that you would know who to give it to."

Sirius continued to stare at the small pendent as it gently reflected the light of the fire burning in the fireplace.

"Did she say why I would know this man?" Sirius asked in a low, careful tone.

Harry shook his head. "She only said you would know who to give it to." Harry replied as he looked up at his godfather. "Do you?" He asked.

Sirius stared at the small pendent for a moment longer, then slowly reached up and took it from Harry's hand. A very sad expression settling on his features.

"Yes." He said quietly. "I know who to give it to. Though I wish with all my heart I didn't have to. It will simply kill him to be given this. I know it will."

"Who is he?" Harry asked without thinking.

But Sirius simply continued to stare at the pendent now laying in his hand.

"It's not important now, Harry." He replied in the same sad, quiet voice. "But you did what she asked, and I'm sure Katlin would have appreciated you keeping your word."

Harry sat for a few minutes with Sirius. Though he got the definite feeling that the room could have been filled with people and Sirius wouldn't have noticed one of them. It wasn't the same silence his godfather had fallen into at the school. This one was more poignant. So much so that Harry could practically feel the foreboding that filled the room.

"I'm going to go to bed then." Harry said finally, not being able to think of anything else to say to Godfather. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Harry." Sirius replied blankly.

Long after Harry had gone up to bed, Sirius still sat on the couch staring at the small pendent in his hand. He didn't even seem to notice when Arabella came in and seated herself next to him.

"It's very pretty." she commented, looking over his arm at the little pendent.

"It's Katlin's." Sirius replied in a vacant, hollow voice.

"Why do you have it?"

"Katlin gave it to Harry. She asked him to give it to me."

"What for?"

Sirius closed his hand over the small pendent, closing his eyes as he raised his head. "She wants me to give it to Orion."

"To Orion? Why?"

Sirius turned to her, the pain in his eyes still so clearly evident. "This was her only necklace, Arabella. She never wore any other. Orion told me it was the first thing he ever gave her. And she loved it more than anything else. And..." Sirius paused for a moment as he choked back his voice, "...and Orion had enchanted it..., so that it did several things. One of them was that it always allowed him to find her. No matter where she was."

Arabella stared at his closed fist. "Then why did she give it to Harry?" She asked quietly.

Sirius shook his head. "To protect him." He whispered. "She doesn't want him risking his life to try and save her. She would rather die than have that happen."

Arabella wrapped her arm tightly about his. "She must love your brother a great deal." She whispered softly.

A small tear lighted down Sirius' cheek. "And I never realized until tonight just how much. I always believed she had coerced Orion into marrying her. For his money, his status, his position, for the things he could do for her. But never once did I think..." His voice trailed off slowly.

"...that it could be for love?" Arabella finished for him.

Sirius slowly nodded. "It was so much easier believing otherwise." His hand tightened about the small pendent and it's gold companion.

Arabella laid her head against his arm, staring at his closed hand. "What are you going to do?"

Sirius didn't answer her as he sat in silence for a long while. Finally he got to his feet and started for the door.

"Sirius?" she asked after him.

He turned back to her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked again.

Sirus tossed the small pendent into the air a few inches, then caught it tightly back in his hand.

"I'm going to see my brother." he replied resolutely, then headed out the door.

****

Q&A

Skahducky:

Dang, if you didn't hit the jackpot of good questions this time!

Let me see hw many I can answer.

Why wouldn't' the Aurors listen to Harry? Because the moment he stuck his head out of the witch's back in the corridor inside Hogwart's, Sirius grabbed him, hauled him out of the way, and clamped a hand over his mouth.

I didn't see them attacking Katlin after Harry told them his story either. Problem was, he never got to.

You have a point about Deatheaters trying to leave Voldemort thinking twice after what happened to Katlin. However, keep in mind that the Ministry isn't exactly publishing this in the Daily Prophet yet. First they want to get her to Azkaban, then they'll celebrate. I mean, they're terribly excited they captured her, sure, but no one is exactly running up volunteering for guard duty with her. Too many Aurors know the lady and know just what she is capable of, especially Orion's boss.

OK, now we go from, 'Gee, those are interesting questions' to 'Now how do I answer this?'.

First off, you say 'Sirius had to have listened to what Harry said'. What makes you think so, Dear? I mean, yes, that's an overall good assumption, it just isn't the right one. Sirius, in fact, did not listen to one word Harry said, because Harry didn't get to say a lot. The minute the boy stuck his head out of the witch's back, he was grabbed and gotten out of harms way. After that, Sirius kept a hand firmly over the boy's mouth. The reason for that (and yes, there was one) is spelled out in Family Relations. As a matter of fact, I can almost guarantee that by chapter ten of Family Relations a lot of people are going to be going back and re-reading the last chapters of Family Life, Runaway, and the first few chapters of Family Relations, looking for what they didn't see the first time. There is so much there that you can really read the stories two ways. You can read it based on what you see the situation as being, and based on what is really going on.

Now, secondly, why didn't he help? Goodness, where to start? Several reasons. One, we just refer back to the fact that you don't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet. That is the main reason, which, since it figures into the next story, sorry, I can't tell you. You'll just have to wait for Family Relations. Next, setting that point aside, lets consider a few

other options. Like the fact Sirius is an Auror and Katlin is a Deatheater. Next, the fact she is married to his brother, another point of contention between them. She weaseled her way into his family, tries to pass herself off as respectable, shows up at the family Christmas dinner, dares to insinuate that she actually 'loves' his brother, and then manipulates the poor man for all she's worth, kidnapped his godson, placed him in direct danger, and through it all has the audacity to look him in the eye.

Simply put, he doesn't like her very much.

Hence, he is not very motivated to help her.

Ah, easy question now.

Where did Katlin's wand go? That was answered in this chapter. Simply put, she dropped it when she stumbled over Harry in the tunnel. With Harry dropping his wand, Katlin was distracted into never considering she might have lost her own as well.

Thank you for the questions, Dear. I always enjoy answering them.

All reviews are as of 04/10/2005.

And remember;

Complain to yourself.

Satisfaction guaranteed.


	9. Chapter Nine: Escape

****

A/N: Well, so we come to the end of another one. Some of you are disappointed, others are throwing a party.

Why?  
Well, folks, you know what's coming after this.

Yes, indeed. The long awaited, much anticipated, nearly outdated, FAMILY RELATIONS.

Yup. After many promises, speculation, and more teasers than the 'Coming Attractions' clip in the theater, this story is finally going to hit the posting board of Fanfiction.

No, no. I swear! Really!

OK. You're right. You have plenty of reason to be skeptical, so go ahead. But for those of you who want to give it one more go with me, you can look for the postings to begin the first week in June.

Why June? Well, because I'm planning my hand surgery for June, and I'll have two of the longest, most boring weeks to kill you'll ever want to see.

Also, the story will run in it's entirety.

What does that mean? It means I will repost the first four chapters.

Should you read them? That's up to you. But you're being warned here, they have been rewritten to some degree. Some things added, some things taken out, some changes so subtle, you'll hardly notice them.

So, I'll see you guys hopefully back in June.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: You haven't been able to prove anything yet. What makes you think you'll start now?

****

CHAPTER NINE: ESCAPE

Orion pulled himself slowly out of the small two-seater sports car and silently surveyed the house before him as he listened to Sirius grunting as he extracted himself from the car.

"What is it with you and small cars?" he asked in a heated whisper as he joined his older brother before the stone steps leading to the front doors of the house.

"They're cozy." Orion answered blandly. Without a backward glance he started up the steps towards the front doors of the house.

"Like a blasted can of sardines are cozy." Sirus grumbled as he followed.

Standing before the doors, Orion lifted the ornamental solid brass knocker and let it fall. The resulting echoed could be heard reverberating through the house several times before it seemed to die away. But Orion knew better than to knock again. Doing so would only serve to irritate the home's owner, and he had no wish to jeopardize his chances any more than they already were. Besides, he well knew that the echo would continue until it found someone to answer it.

After standing for a few minutes, Sirius' frustration broke. "There's no one here, Orion." he stated. "Maybe we can find someone else who..."

Before he finished what he was going to say, the right door suddenly creaked and slowly opened.

"Find someone else who can what?" The voice was low and rumbled like the rolling wave of a thunderstorm in the distance. "Help you?" A black robed figure now almost completely eclipsed the doorway, turning its attention to Orion. "Assuming help is what you came for. But what else would bring you to my door, Orion Black? And if you bothered coming to me for help, the matter must be serious indeed." The voice added with enough contempt one could nearly cut it with a knife.

"And a good evening to you, Uncle Hershal." Orion replied in much the same tone, though he tried desperately to modify it to something more congenial. They needed his help to save Katlin. His pride would have to go by the wayside for now. "The matter is indeed serious." he added quickly. "And we do need your help."

The figure in the doorway didn't move. "What matter?" he ask.

"My...a friend," Orion quickly changed his wording with a slighted glance at his brother. But Sirius caught the stare and gave his brother a brief, quick shake of his head. Orion considered the implication, but then repeat the words he'd chosen. "A friend is being taken to Azkaban. We need to secure her release."

Sirius shrugged back. He understood Orion's need for caution, but he wished his brother would trust him more.

"She is not there yet." The figure clarified, drawing Orion's attention back to him.

"No. But she's on the train."

"How long?"

"An hour. Maybe a little more. The last report put them three hours to the docks."

The robed figure seemed to consider the information as it stared past the man before him. But finally he turned his attention once more to Orion.

"My help is not free." he said in the same low voice. "It comes at a price."

"I don't care about 'price'." Orion stated a bit more fiercely than he meant to. "Whatever you want, I'll pay."

The figure in the doorway stepped forward a few inches. Just enough that a shaft of moonlight illuminated the smile that crept over the otherwise darkened face. "And those words may well come back to haunt you one day." The figure replied.

Orion was sure that Hershal Bennett would do everything he could to make the prediction came true. But at that moment he didn't care. Time was running out for them.

Katlin's time.

****

(Scene Change)

The train moved through the thick fog with only the sound of its own engine to keep it company. There were no towns nearby on this route. No houses. No roads. No possibility of help.

Inside the train the single prisoner sat on the floor in the car, situated almost exactly in the middle of the cell she was in with eight Aurors stationed around her.

Katlin Griss smiled slightly to herself, wondering what exactly they thought she was going to do.

She had kept that smile there through most of the trip. She wanted to remember what it felt like to smile.

Once she reached Azkaban, she was sure she would soon forget.

A single tear found its way past the smile as she thought of her husband. She was sure they had told him of her capture by now. The Aurors would be painting it on the walls, lauding it over the Unspeakables that they had been the ones to capture her. The news would travel through the Ministry like a wildfire out of control.

Katlin Griss, the most infamous of Voldemort's Elite Deatheaters, captured by Ministry Aurors.

How proud they were of themselves.

None of the Aurors spoke to her. They didn't even really look at her for that matter. She guessed they were more concerned about the other two train cars passengers then they were about even her.

The prison authorities wanted to make sure she arrived. That there were not any mishaps on the way with their precious cargo. And so they had sent ten Dementors with the train. Five were stationed in the car that was in front of the one Katlin rode in, and five in the car that brought up the rear of the train.

But so far, a little over an hour into the trip, there hadn't been so much as a speck of dust falling out of place. Everything was running very much on schedule. In a few hours they would reach the coast, she guessed. Then the train would travel another fifteen minutes to the private docking area, where a boat waited to take her to Azkaban. That would be the most perilous part of the journey for her. The small boats were not often capable of adequately handling the sometimes higher than normal seas and boats were known on occasion to become swamped.

Katlin shivered at the thought. But even drowning might be preferable to what awaited her if she made it safely to Azkaban.

She had heard most people who went there went mad within a few weeks. Some held out for a few months. Orion's own brother had been a rarity. Twelve years he had lasted in the infamous prison. And Orion had stated he hadn't been eager to share how he had done it. Sirius, in fact, rarely talked about his experience at all according to Orion. If someone brought it up, he changed the subject. If they persisted, he simply stopped talking altogether.

Katlin sighed to herself as she turned to the window. It had been foggy and raining for the past half hour. And the cold around her was getting worse by the minute.

The guards all had wards about themselves to fend off the Dementors effects. The only protection she had was a ward placed on the cage itself. Another incentive not t try and leave it.

Katlin was caught up momentarily in studying the scenery outside the window when the train suddenly lurched forward slightly. All the guards instantly came to attention as they looked about, wondering what the possible problem was.

As she watched she noted that the train was slowing rapidly. Eventually, with a slight jerking forward, it came to a complete stop. Katlin could hear voices coming from the front of the train. She got up and went to the barred window to see if she could see anything.

The train had stopped just as it was taking a sharp turn, which allowed for her to see the front of the train.

What she saw astounded her.

The train's engineer had gotten out of the conductor's box and was walking towards the front of the train, yelling as he went. It was what he was yelling at that was so amazing.

Standing before the train, apparently unperturbed by the engineer's yelling, was a tall, thin, wraith-like figure dressed in black, billowing robes. It didn't move, or seem to even notice the man approaching it. It simply stood in the headlight of the train, as though mesmerized by it.

But as the engineer got closer, the figure finally turned towards him. The man's tirade stopped abruptly. He fell utterly silent for a few seconds, but then suddenly started backing away from the figure on the tracks, who aside from turning to look at the engineer, hadn't moved at all.

The engineer backed away as quickly as he could. Katlin could hear small whimpers coming from the man as he turned about and ran for the train again. But he never made it. He collapsed a few feet from the doorway to the conductor's box. He curled into a ball and, aside from shaking like a leaf, didn't move again.

The Aurors in the car with her watched the scene with uncertainty. But seeing the supposed attack on the engineer, they went into action to secure their prisoner. A long pole shoved its way between Katlin and the window, forcing her back just as she saw the figure on the tracks turn towards the car she was in.

"Move away from the sides." One of the Aurors ordered her as the other seven moved to more strategic positions in the car.

Katlin willingly did as she was told. She had no more of an idea who or what the creature on the tracks was than the Aurors did, although she was sure they would not believe her if they ask her and she denied it. But the Aurors seemed much more interested in setting up an adequate defense to guard their prisoner than in what she may or may not know about the creature.

Everything around her was now absolute silence, save the breathing of the eight guards in the car with her. Katlin wasn't sure what to expect, but she carefully fingered the small shaft of wood she had kept hidden in her robes, waiting for the right moment to try for freedom. Whatever came at them, she planned to be prepared.

Ominously she heard the car creak around her. Like the sound of an old wooden boat rocking on the waves in the ocean. But the sound quickly faded into silence again. Then slowly the large door to the car rattled, then groaned a little as it hitched slightly against the lock holding it in place on the inside. Katlin stared at the metal lock. A precaution at best, she wasn't sure exactly what protection it afforded her from the outside, but suspected it was more meant to slow down any attempt she might make at escape, if not serve to deter her even considering such action. But currently it was serving as a deterrent between her and whatever was outside as the lock shook against the attempts being made to open the door.

Past the large metal lock the door was secured with several spells, a few wards, and at least one locking charm. So getting past a metal lock was the least of anyone's problems.

Katlin watched the lock with wide eyes as the guards outside her cell stood four on either side of the door, wands drawn and pointed at the doorway. It shook again against the attempt to open the door, then fell silent once more. But almost an instant later a flare of light enveloped the door, spreading around the contours of it as it swept over the entire surface. The light then swept over the lock, which suddenly shattered as though hit by an invisible sledgehammer. As it flew apart in a thousand pieces the door was suddenly retched open as though it weighed little more than a few pounds, the force nearly taking it off the rollers as it slammed into the jams outside. Instantly the light leapt from the door and struck each of the guards, enveloping each one as it had the door. Unsure of what the spell was meant for, Katlin was sure it wasn't anything good.

The events that followed happened so quickly Katlin could barely follow them. Instantly eight black robed figures flew into the car and descended on the guards. Katlin quickly scrambled back to the far wall of her cell as the Dementors each claimed their victims. She curled up in a ball against the wooden planking, trying to brace herself for what she was sure would come.

The screaming was the first thing she registered. She was sure her own screams would soon join them.

But nothing happened. Even as the guards screams continued and evenly died down in the distance, Katlin felt nothing. No horrible visions filled her mind. No overwhelming feelings of despair.

Nothing.

But still she remained curled up against the wall, refusing to venture even the smallest look about her.

Then suddenly she heard something. Or better, felt it. A small, cold feeling that started at the back of her neck and slowly began to spread through her whole body. Cautiously she came out of her protective ball and turned slowly about, as though each movement was physically painful to her.

Standing in the doorway of the train car was the figure she had first seen standing on the tracks. Her eyes slowly took in the enclosed area of the train car. She was completely alone in the car now except for the figure standing in the doorway.

It appeared just as it had on the tracks before the train. A tall, wraith like thing covered head to foot in black robes. But the shape of it wasn't that of a Dementor. It was far more...human. The body the robes covered was tall and lean, with a thin waist and wide chest.

The slow chill continued to seep through her body. She pushed her back tightly against the wall behind her.

That coldness. It wasn't a feeling. Or a fear.

It was the figure before her.

She felt him.

"Mrs. Black?"

Katlin drew in a sharp breath at the sound of her name. The voice that spoke it was like none she had ever heard before. Low and resonant, the male voice cut through the coldness surrounding her, as though it were seeking her out. Offering her its warmth.

Katlin sat staring up at the figure, but her gaze slowly drifted to its hands.

She barely managed to stifled another, sudden gasp.

In its black gloved hand, the creature carried a wand.

This was a wizard!

Very slowly Katlin's eyes were drawn up as the hands reached up and carefully slid back the hood from around the wizard's head.

For the third time in as many minutes, Katlin all but failed to stifle a small gasp. But this one was laced with something far less innocent than it's twins. This one was the sound of pure lust.

The man now staring down at her wasn't just male, he was...Magic! He was a force of nature.

Dark eyes, the color of night, watched her intently as her gaze took a leisurely stroll down his body again. Knowing what was under that robe gave new definition to the outlines. Reaching the bottom, Katlin sighed in anticipation of the return trip.

This was the man mothers warned their daughters of. A sinfully decadent dessert, covered over in rich, silk chocolate. The kind that simply melted on your tongue, then continued to tease your taste buds long after you gotten a taste of it.

Reaching that face again, Katlin barely managed to contain a small, secret smile. Looking into that smooth, confident stare, Katlin doubted any woman could look at the man and not be effected. Long, dark eyelashes half hid those coal black eyes while a full mane of black hair with a slight curl to it covered his head, a few loose strands falling casually on his forehead. All of it framing a face that spoke of power and ageless strength.

"Mrs. Black?" the man inquired again in a voice as smooth as silk.

Katlin barely felt herself nod. Some un-named feeling was weighting her down until any movement was a concentrated effort.

But as she continued to stare at his face, a different feeling began to close over her. One that frantically waved warning flags at her emotions. Despite the look, despite the light that danced in his eyes with amusement, despite the warmth they conveyed, there was no warmth there at all. There was no light. No amusement. Why, looking at him from this new angle, she began to doubt there was any life in him at all. He was real, and his body, tall and lean and with a strength and beauty any man would envy, which moved with fluid grace and control, was most definitely alive.

Or more...animated, she decided was the word she was looking for. Because looking beneath it all, Katlin could swear she could feel nothing at all coming from the man. Not a single emotion to feed her intuition.

The man entered the car, moving slowly as he approached the cage she sat in. To him she thought she must very much look like a caged, frightened animal. And it was very much what she was starting to feel like again.

"What do you want?" Katlin heard herself ask, though it came out sounding very much like a terrified but whispered scream.

The wizard now stood before her cell, staring down at her. Katlin swore the man didn't seem to walk so much as did he appear instead to move gracefully and effortlessly over the floor. He made no sound at all as he moved. In fact, all sound around them seemed to stop in the wizard's presence.

"Mrs. Black," the wizard addressed her for the third time, "my name is Hershal Bennett. I've come to take you home."

Katlin stared up into the man's eyes. The closer he drew, the less she felt anything else. It was as though everything around her ceased to exist. Not just her surroundings, or the sounds of the night outside the train car, or the cold that had seemed to enter the car with him, but her emotions as well. Every feeling she had ever known, she could not seem to bring one to the forefront no matter how much of an effort she made to remember what just 'feeling' was like. The only awareness she seemed to have was of the man standing before her. And that wasn't so much a 'feeling' as it was simply an awareness of his presence.

Slowly the man reached out and wrapped his hand about the door of her cell. As Katlin watched his every move, she saw a flash of light erupt from under his hand and sweep over the cage. The ward quickly dissolved and she heard the lock of the door click under his fingers. With a slight pull, the man opened the door, but blocked the opening with his body as he stood staring down at her.

Katlin was sure she could easily get lost in the man's stare alone. And she wasn't even sure why. There was absolutely nothing in that stare except the same coldness that seemed to radiate around him constantly. It was like staring into a dark, moonless night. But she discovered it wasn't so much her getting lost in the stare as in it pulling her in. A long, dark, cold tunnel beaconing to her to follow it.

After what seemed to her to be hours, the man finally extended his hand towards her. "I've come to take you home." he repeated.

Katlin seized hold of what little reserves she felt she still had within her. With a great deal of effort she wretched her eyes away from the man's stare, and with a snarl on her lips she pulled her wand from beneath her robes. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" she hissed at the man.

The clear shot hit the man full in the chest, knocking him out of the way of the door opening.

Katlin didn't bother to see where he landed. She saw her opportunity and took it.

Lunging for the door, she bolted out of the cage and leapt through the door of the train car. She hit the ground running, cutting through the darkness with no thought as to where she was going, only with the idea to get as far from the train as she could.

Katlin felt her head clearing as she breathed in the cool night air. Each lungful she dragged into her body seemed to revitalize her and add strength to her flight. All she could think of was that she had to keep running. She had to get as far as possible from where she had been before she could allow herself the luxury of stopping and trying to sort out what to do next.

But as she ran, suddenly the ground beneath her disappeared and she pitched forward.

Unable to stop, Katlin tried to brace herself for the fall. But her hands met with only a watery resistance, her scream cut off as the dark liquid filled her mouth.

The cold water hit her with a striking force. Her already chilled body reacted in an instant spasm as the water soaked her robes and caressed every inch of her body. Katlin quickly twisted about, thrashing against the material that seemed to wrap itself about her limbs and pull her down even as she fought for the surface. But the water seemed to continue to soak into her clothing, causing it to cling ever tighter to her arms and legs. Every inch of skin that the icy water touched felt like another hand grabbing hold of her, pulling her ever further down into the cold, black depths. Soon the tendrils and leaves of the plants in the water seemed to join the hands, fighting against her weakening struggles to reach the surface.

Katlin gave one last frantic kick with her feet, trying to break free. But all her effort seemed to do was to wrap the plants stems tighter about her feet and legs. A cry of despair rose in her as she prayed that someone would find her in time. That she would feel the warmth of a gentle hand grabbing hold of her. Pulling her back into the blessed air.

But the hand that found the back of her robes, that rubbed against the nape of her neck as it grabbed hold of the material was neither gentle nor warm. She could feel the sheer strength in it before she felt the cold.

And cold it was. If the water had been fridged, the hand that grabbed her was a blast of Artic air on a summer night. And the feeling didn't stop at the back of her neck.

As soon as the skin touched her's, a bolt like frozen light shot through her body. Something deep within her reacted to the feeling that now seemed to surround her, and on instinct she cringed away. But the hand kept a firm grip on her robes and yanked her upwards with a solid pull.

Katlin gasp out loud as she broke the surface and took her first breath of air. But quickly after that she sputtered, coughed, and choked over a mouthful of water. The hand tried to set her on her feet, but she quickly collapsed to her hands and knees, remaining there as she felt she was going to be sick at any moment.

"Katlin!"

Katlin heard the sound of her name. Her husband's voice registered in her mind. But it sounded so far away. And she was so very tired suddenly.

"Katlin."

A second voice called her name. But this one was infinitely closer. It was warm and gentle and seemed to whisper right in her ear. Slowly Katlin turned her face towards it. Almost against the will of her exhausted limbs, Katlin felt herself being guided too her feet. Something she felt was impossible a few moments before now seemed utterly effortless. She smiled at the face now before her, that answered with a smile of its own.

With the gentlest of touches, so that she moved almost of her own will, Hershal turned her face towards him and tilted it slightly so that she was now staring up at him. Leaning down, he gently touched his lips to her's. Then slowly he folded the cloak about her as he pulled her shivering body against his. But the touch was always so light that with the slightest effort she could have pulled free.

But Katlin never resisted. From nowhere within her could she seem to find that one small effort to break free of the man. Her body instead followed his every instruction without resistance.

****

(Change POV)

Within seconds of the cloak enclosing her, Orion felt something deep within himself. A warning that called to him in a blind panic. He turned just as the arms closed around their victim.

"Katlin!"

The warning had no effect as the body behind the wall of black material did nothing to try and free itself.

"Hershal! Stop!"

Having left Sirius to deal with the few remaining guards from the train that the Dementors hadn't chased off, Orion had come sprinting across the field, heading straight at the two. But in that same instant, Hershal released the woman in his embrace.

Orion grabbed Katlin and pulled her about to face him. "Katlin!" He could barely hide the panic in his voice. "Katlin? Love, can you hear me?"

Not getting any response Orion turned an angry stare on the man before him. "What did you do to her!" he demanded.

Hershal gave the younger man a small smile. "Did you honestly think my actions altruistic? That my help was without cost?"

Orion's expression darkened. "What did you do to her?" he repeated.

"I'll show you." Hershal answered with the same smile.

Only moving his eyes to the woman standing next to Orion, Hershal softly said her name.

"Katlin."

Although the sound was little more than a breath on the air, and up until then Katlin had not made a move or acknowledged anyone around her, her head instantly came up at the sound of her name.

Hershal held out his hand. Katlin immediately stepped forward and laid her hand in his, a smile coming to her lips as she moved to stand before him.

As he gently brushed his hand over her cheek, Hershal turned his eyes to the man behind her, again giving him a small, condescending smile.

"She is mine now." he stated simply. "She will come when I call, and she will do whatever I ask of her."

Orion's expression shifted from the disbelief with which he had watched the proceedings to outright anger. "You had no right!" he shouted at the man. "I asked you here for your help, not..."

"And I told you my help came at a price." the man cut Orion off sharply. "One you agreed to pay."

"Of myself." Orion fired back. "Not from her! She agreed to nothing!"

Hershal stood staring down at him for some time, saying nothing.

Orion waited to see what Hershal would say, but after a few minutes, glancing about to see where his brother was, added in a whisper, "Please, Hershal. She is my wife. Let her go. Please."

"Would you rather she was facing her previous fate?" the older man ask. "Would this have changed your answer? She is alive, and I require only a little of her from time to time."

Orion slowly lowered his head. He couldn't argue the point with the man. He had agreed in his eagerness to enlist the man's help anything Hershal had wanted. But Katlin should not be made to pay the price for his error.

"If you want someone, you should take me. I was the one who ask for your help." Orion stated.

"You are not the one I want."

Orion was about to say something else when suddenly the air around them began to grow steadily colder. Hershal's attention quickly shifted behind the younger man.

"What is it?" he demanded.

A low, rattled breathing shifted in rhythms as the Dementor answered. Although Orion could not make out any recognizable words, Hershal listened to each sound, then waved the creature off.

As the Dementor left, Hershal turned his attention back to Orion. "One of the guards escaped and has alerted the ministry of the attack. Others are on their way. Leave now, or you will all share her previous fate."

Orion thought desperately for something else he could say. Some new argument he could use to get Hershal to release Katlin. But time was not on his side.

Taking Katlin's hand, Orion carefully directed her back over to him. "Come on, Love." he whispered to her. "We're going home."

Like someone waking from a trace, Katlin stirred, then shook her head. Looking about quickly her eyes fastened on her husband's face.

"Orion!" His name was practically a scream on her lips as she launched herself into his arms. Over and over she repeated his name as she hung onto him for dear life. Picking her up in his arms, Orion quickly hurried off towards where Sirius was waiting for them.

****

(Scene Change)

For the next several days Katlin stayed out of the ministry's radar by staying at the lair. Several times Orion was questioned about the events surrounding Katlin Griss' escape from train, but each time he was cleared. Thankfully Sirius was never questioned further than a few passing questions about Orion's whereabouts the night of the escape. But since Orion's cover story was that he was at home alone, there was very little they could question Sirius about.

The Daily Prophet didn't carry any news of her escape as that they had never even been told of her capture. The Ministry wanted to make sure she was safely at Azkaban before releasing any news to the press. Apparently a wise decision as it now saved them from a horrible embarrassment.

When she did finally come back to the house, Orion found her uncharacteristically quiet. Far more subdued than her usual, energetic self. She would jump at the slightest sound, and at night he doubted she hardly slept but a few hours each night.

Over a few more days the toll her new habits were taking on her became more and more evident. She would easily lose track of conversations he would have with her. Or he would come into a room to find her simply standing there, looking very lost and confused, eventually confessing she had no idea what she had come into the room for when he ask.

Finally one night, having found her once more staring aimlessly about one of the back rooms, he took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. Sitting down with her, he was determined not to let her leave until she told him exactly what was going on.

"Love, something is wrong." he replied as she firmly denied anything was. "You hardly sleep. You can barely follow a conversation that is more than five minutes long, and more and more you lose track of what you're doing. And you've become so skittish lately you make rabbits look positively placid. Something isn't right. Now please, tell me. What is going on?"

Katlin began to deny his assumption again, but Orion quickly laid a finger over her lips.

"If you tell me again there is nothing wrong we are straight off to St. Andrews right now. If you won't tell me, maybe you'll tell the old werewolf what's wrong. But you're going to tell someone. Me or him. You're choice."

Katlin sighed at the choice, which she didn't see as much of one. She could risk insulting her husband by choosing to go to see Aaron Richards, but then she stood to humiliate herself in front of her friend. Or she could try explaining things to Orion, and end up at St. Mungo's instead.

Some choice.

Katlin sighed as she shook her head. "You won't understand." she said finally.

"I'm your husband. Try me." Orion replied, his expression deadly serious.

Katlin quietly sighed again. "You'll think it's silly."

"Tell me what's wrong. Then I'll tell you how silly I think it is."

Katlin paused, then stared down at her hands as she folded them in her lap. "A few days ago," she began in a very soft, quiet voice, "almost right after you rescued me from the train, I started...having 'blackouts'."

Orion's worry immediately peaked. "Blackouts? What sort of blackouts?"

Katlin shook her head. "I don't know how to describe them." she replied. "I just...when I was at the lair I would be...in my room...or the hall...and suddenly, the next thing I knew I would be in a totally different room, and have no idea how I got there. Or I would suddenly find myself talking to someone, and have no recollection of how I got there or what we were discussing. All I know if that they never seem to last very long. No more than an hour or less.

After a few days I thought maybe it was just the excitement of the past few days. I needed some time off. A rest. So I told Voldemort I was going to check on a few things in London and I'd be back in a few days. Instead I came home."

"But things haven't improved." he ventured.

Katlin shook her head again. "They've gotten worse." she confirmed. "I still lose track of conversations, I forget what I'm doing a half dozen times a day, and now I can't even sleep.", Katlin lifted a tear stained face to him. "I feel like I'm loosing my mind." she said softly. "Maybe...maybe I should go see Aaron. Maybe he'll know what's wrong with me." She lowered her head again as she rested it in her hands. "Maybe I'm just finally ready for St. Mungo's. Maybe the Dementors effected me while I was on the train. Maybe one of them got to me and I just don't remember it."

Orion gently wrapped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her to him. She never knew just how right she was. A Dementor had gotten to her.

The worst of them.

Orion had at first thought it better not to mention anything to Katlin about what Hershal had done. He had hoped the man would simply forget her and leave her in peace.

But apparently he chose just the opposite. Not only had he not forgotten her, he had started using his control over her from nearly the first day after her escape.

So Hershal was already beginning to exercise his control over her. Possibly he was just seeing for now how compliant she was going to be. How hard he would have to work to control her.

For the present Orion wasn't nearly as concerned about her 'blackouts' as was he about what she was doing during them. Katlin had said she never seemed to lose more than an hour at a time, usually less. And she always 'woke up' up still at the lair. So Hershal was either not having her go very far, or wasn't having her leave the lair at all. Which worried him more. If he was having her stay at the lair, what was he having her do?

Well, Hershal Bennett's days of manipulating in the dark were about to come to an end. If he was determined to used his hold over her, he wasn't going to do it at the cost of her sanity.

"How do you feel now?" he ask. "Up t a short drive?"

Katlin looked up quickly. "Where are we going?" she ask a little apprehensively. "To the hospital?"

Orion shook his head as he led her out of the room to the garage. "No. We're going to see someone."

Katlin gave him a confused look. "Who?"

"The only one who can stop this." Orion replied. "And that's exactly what he's going to do."

****

(Scene Change)

An hour later Katlin found herself standing before a large oak door as she watched Orion lift the ornate knocker and let it fall.

She listened to the sound echo endlessly through the house as she looked about the alcove they stood in.

"Where are we?" she ask as Orion kept his attention fixed on the door.

Slowly he turned to her. "You don't know?" he ask.

Katlin quickly shook her head.

"This is Hershal Bennett's house." Orion explained.

"Hershal? Why are we coming to see Hershal?"

The door slowly opened at her words, and Hershal Bennett std before them.

"Why indeed?" he ask slowly as he looked over the two people on his doorstep. His gave Katlin a passing but amiable smile. But it vanished just as quickly as he turned to Orion. "So, what brings you back to my door so soon, Mr. Black?" Hershal ask. "Or don't you feel you've disturbed my peace enough for the year?"

Orion didn't back down one inch from the man's stare. "You're a fine one to be talking about disturbing anyone's peace, Hershal. And apparently you're even too much of a coward to do it out in the open. Instead you try to do it anonymously."

The man's eyes darkened along with his expression. "You would do well to watch what you say, Mr. Black. An unguarded tongue can be a dangerous thing around me."

"Really?" Orion huffed at the man. "And tell me, what exactly do I have to fear from a coward like you?"

"Orion!" Katlin snapped.

But Hershal waved off her concern. "Few people ever call me that and don't learn well from such a mistake." he said quietly. "Is there any reason I shouldn't teach you such a lesson?"

"Several." Orion replied. "The most presenting being you can't. But you're always welcome as ever to try."

Orion instantly caught the man's hand as he reached for his wand. "But first you have to prove me wrong." he stated in a slow, solid voice.

"Prove you wrong?"

"Prove you're no coward." Orion replied, gesturing to the woman next to him. "Tell Katlin what you've done to her."

Katlin looked at her husband suddenly, then just as quickly turned her gaze back to the man before her. "Done?" she ask in a sharp voice. "Done?"

Hershal smiled down at the man before him. But there wasn't one ounce of warmth in that smile. If anything, it was the coldest smile Katlin could ever remembered seeing.

"You play your words very well, Orion." he said in a low, dangerous tone as he pulled his hand free. "So, what do I do now? Do I do as you ask? Or prove myself a coward, deny your request, and lose my right to take some vengeance on you?"

"That is your choice." Orion replied calmly.

For a few brief moments Hershal made no move. But finally he stepped back and allowed them to enter.

"I am many things, Mr. Black, as you know." he stated as they walked past him, so much contempt in his voice Katlin practically cringed from it. "But one of them is not a coward."

Orion turned sharply back to the man. "Then tell her!" he stated fiercely. "Tell her what you've done to her. She has the right to know."

"Orion!" Katlin spoke up again in shock. "How can you speak to him like that? Hershal saved my life. Not once, but twice. I'd be in Azkaban or drown now if not for him. I have no idea what game you're playing here, but I swear I will not be a part of it. I'm leaving!"

Katlin fully expected Orion to try and stop her. What she was not prepared for was the hand that seized her arm being Hershal's.

"Katlin, wait." he said, his voice much softer now. "Your husband brought you here for a reason. He accuses me of being a coward. Don't you want to know why? Don't you want any answers?"

Katlin met his stare without the slightest fear. "What answers?" she ask.

Hershal directed her to a room down a large hallway. Like most of the house seemed to be, this one was decorated exclusively in dark colors. Browns and reds, with the occasional hint of dark green in the trim.

Hershal led her over to a large, plush sofa, where he directed her to sit down, all but ignoring the man following behind them. Orion sat next to her, protectively taking her hand as he stared up at the man before them.

"Tell her." Orion stated.

Katlin looked between them. "Tell me what?" she ask.

"That your husband chooses to leave me no peace in my life." Hershal replied in the same dangerously low tone he had used before when speaking to Orion. "That he feels his family still has claim over me. Over my life. My fate and my choices."

"Oh, do cut the melodramatics, Uncle Hershal." Orion spat at him. "You're not impressing anyone here with them.

But something in her husband's words caught Katlin's attention.

"Uncle?" she all but squeaked out. "Hershal Bennett is your uncle?"

"A term of respect." The words all but froze in the air before him as Hershal answered her question. "Thought there seems little of that left in the boy at this stage."

"Just get on with it." Orion stated. "Or I'll tell her myself."

Hershal paused as he studied the younger man, then slowly turned his attention to Katlin.

"You know I have power stronger than most average wizards." he stated. "You've felt it."

Katlin slowly nodded in response.

"What is it you feel from me?" he ask. "Right now."

Katlin didn't have to think long on the question. She had felt it moments before the Hershal had opened the door. The sudden, inexplicable cold that had surrounded her. Driven itself right into her bones. The question was how to answer Hershal without sounding insulting.

"Come, girl, it isn't that hard to answer." Hershal stated. Reaching out a hand, he seized her by the shoulder. "What do you feel?"

Katlin barely fought back a gasp of surprise. The hand was like ice. Just as she remembered it the night of her escape. A sudden surge of fear rose up in her and it was all she could do not to bolt out of the room.

"Your touch...," she replied softly, "...it's cold. Just like when I...I felt you...in the train. When you stood in front of my cell. Everything felt...so cold."

"And when did you last remember feeling that cold?" Hershal ask her, pulling his hand back.

Katlin thought for a moment. Where had she felt that same, undeniable cold settling about her? Slowly she started to remember, and the thought caused her to cautiously raise her eyes back to the man before her as a frightening idea took hold.

"I...felt that same coldness...," she began, "when the Dementors came into the car. When they attacked the guards."

"You are starting to understand now." he said, pulling back from her as he walked to the center of the room. There he turned back to her, holding his arms out. "You see before you, Katlin Griss, a Dementor. One that thinks, and feels, and lives as a normal man, but who isn't a man at all. Not anymore."

Katlin sat up on the sofa's edge. "That's not possible!" she stated. "Dementors...they aren't...you can't be a Dementor. They're not human."

"Perhaps not one in the conventional sense." Hershal replied. "But I encompass all of their power. That natural essence that makes them abhorrent to the rest of so called humanity. They are my family now. My brothers and sisters. My people." Hershal paused as he stared back at her. "But I also encompass one other aspect of them." he added quietly. "Their ability to possess a human's soul."

Katlin sat with her mouth literally hanging open. Hershal walked back over to her and slowly reached out as he pushed it shut for her.

"Are you starting to understand better now?" he ask. "Why your husband brought you here?"

Katlin nodded slowly. "That night...after you rescued me...I remember...you kissed me. You were holding me...and you kissed me." Katlin suddenly bolted back from the man with such force she all but overturned the sofa she was sitting on. "What have you done to me!" She nearly screamed at him.

"Much less than would have been done to you at Azkaban." Hershal replied.

A hand flew out and caught Hershal directly across the face with an angry slap.

"That is no answer!" Katlin replied, enough venom in her voice to cause most men to cringe in fear. Orion couldn't help but give a small smile of satisfaction to see the utter shock in Hershal's eyes. "Now answer me! What have you done to me?"

Hershal pulled back up to his full height, apparently eager to get himself out of striking range.

"You know what it is to be near me." Hershal replied. "It is the one thing I have only a small amount of control over. I can mask my effect on most people, but not on all, and not all of the time. Because of this, from time to time, I require to have those who can act on my behalf with others. I still have to function in the world. I still have a business to run. And for that I need people I can trust, and rely on. But it isn't possible for me to keep such people with me all of the time. The effect on them would be very...damaging." he added with a small smile. "So instead I have a chosen few who, for the most part, live their own lives, but who I have the need to call on occasionally."

"What does any of this have to do with what's been done to me?"

"By my nature, as it is now," Hershal answered, casting a hard glare at Orion before turning back to Katlin, "I do not trust people as I once did. I can see a bit farther past their faces now. And as such, I keep track of them by a small, unobtrusive bond."

"Is that what you call it now, Uncle?" Orion put in. "A small, unobtrusive bond?"

"It causes no harm..."

"You turn them into puppets." Orion replied. He turned quickly to Katlin. "Your blackouts," he explained, "have been the periods when Hershal took over your mind, your will, to make you do what he wanted of you."

Katlin turned quickly back to the man. "Is that true?" she ask.

Hershal stood for several moments matching her stare. "When I have need of you," he replied calmly, "it is necessary for me to have control of you. You've been perfectly safe. I have never allowed one person bonded to me to ever be harmed."

"And all you are asking is that I...function for you...out in the world."

"When I can not." Hershal replied. "When I can not mask myself from others. In large crowds, for instance. Or in close quarters, sometimes I lose control. I've always hated closed in spaces."

"And that is all you ask of me?" Katlin questioned.

"That is all."

"Then you're a fool." she stated firmly. "Both of you are." she added, turning to Orion. "You, for trying to protect me from something you had no business hiding from me. If you knew what was going on, you should have told me. And you," she turned back to the man standing just out of arms reach, "you didn't need some spell...some magical hold on me. If you needed or wanted my help, why didn't you just ask me?"

Hershal's brows came together. "Ask?"

Katlin met the man's stare with determination in her own. "You saved my life, Hershal. Twice. What you are asking is a very small return for that favor. If you have need of me, if you call me, I will come. And I will do whatever you ask of me. But I will do it of my own free will." Katlin instantly softened her tone. "I do not know that I can ever repay in full what you did for me, Mr. Bennett, but I welcome the opportunity to at least try."

"You would come...if I called you? If I ask?" Hershal questioned.

"I will always come if I can."

Orion turned to Katlin. "Love, think very carefully." he stated. "You have no idea..."

"I have every idea!" Katlin snapped back at him. "And it's long past time you allowed me to utilize them for myself."

Orion paused, then turned back to Hershal. "Will you free her now?"

Hershal's gaze remained on Katlin. "I can't." he answered after a few moments.

"Why?" Orion stated. "She's agreed to help you of her own free will." he reiterated. "Why continue to hold her?"

Hershal turned to him. "Because the bond can not be broken." he replied. He returned his gaze to Katlin. "But I swear to you, I will never use it. If I call you, you may come of your own free will. If you do not, you do not. The choice will be yours. And you need not fear I will take some action against you, whichever choice you make."

Katlin slowly got to her feet, still holding the man's stare. "When you call me, as long as I am able, I will come." she replied. "And I will never fear you."

Hershal slowly turned his eyes back to Orion. "You have a very unique woman as your wife. She is loyal as few are these days. And she honors her obligations, as so few do these days."

"I honor my obligations." Orion replied. "And my first obligation is my family. Katlin may agree to this, Hershal, but you see to it you do not abuse her loyalty."

"Orion!" Katlin snapped at him.

But Hershal put his hand up to stop her going any further. "If I call her, it is only because I seriously need her help. She will never be used as some...frivolous thing."

Orion directed Katlin towards the door with a hand in the small of her back.

"I don't recall that our business is done, Mr. Black." Hershal stated behind them.

Orion turned back to him. "We're done." he dismissed the statement casually.

The door before them swung shut with a blow that echoed through the house. Orion stopped short, then turned slowly back to the man behind him.

"What else is it you want?" he ask in a bred tone.

"There is the matter of your insult." Hershal replied with a mirthless smile. "I proved you wrong."

"Backed into a corner." Orion answered.

"I still demand my satisfaction." Hershal replied.

Orion was already turning back to face the man when an arm caught his.

"Apologize." came the soft request.

Orion turned sharply to his wife, ready to argue the request until he met her eyes.

"Apologize." she softly ask again.

It couldn't have been more of a request if she had said 'please' to him. And for some reason he could feel it was desperately important to her that he do what she ask.

Taking a slowly breath, Orin turned once more to the man behind him.

"Perhaps I was mistaken." he said slowly. "It would appear you were not a coward...today."

A low, deeply pleased laugh rumbled in the man's voice. "I suppose that is the best I will get out of you...today." he replied.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Katlin ask as Orion once they were outside as he ushered her towards the car.

"Because he is an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical man."

"And you have dealt with arrogant, self-centered, egotistical men before. But you've never hated them outright."

Orin leaned over the door for a moment as Katlin got in. "Love, just believe me. Be very careful with Hershal Bennett. He isn't anything that he appears. He is a very dangerous, very delusional man who can turn on you without a moment's notice."

Katlin stared back at the large house as Orion got in and started the engine. "He struck me as very lonely." she stated.

"Trust me, he's not." Orin answered, pulling away from the house. "He has every Dementor on earth waiting at his beck and call."

****

(Scene Change)

Several days following his return to the castle, Harry began to try to reconcile the events of the past days for himself.

He had had to relive the events of those days with Katlin over and over for the Ministry as they questioned him about it for what seemed like days on end. Thankfully, Sirius or Arabella insisted they be allowed to be in the room at all times. So he was never forced to be alone with the Ministry people.

Every action on Katlin's part someone seemed to have an ulterior motive ready to explain it away with.

Her rescuing him from the lair was just part of some overall elaborate scheme to gain his trust. The fight with the Deatheaters a staged encounter. The fall off the cliff a carefully orchestrated move to further her plans.

They had also tried to point out inconsistencies in Harry's story regarding Katlin's actions. Such as that Harry had said Katlin told him they were being followed by Deatheaters in Hogsmeade. But, despite that he didn't mention her locking the door to the tunnel once they entered it, no sign of Deatheaters following them was ever found.

Harry explained away nearly every one of their attempts to discredit Katlin well enough to suit himself. Except for the door to the tunnel. That Harry had had to ask Sirius about for an explanation, who had told him that the door sealed itself after a few minutes if its not sealed after it is opened. So Harry quickly reasoned that perhaps the Deatheaters got delayed just long enough for the door to lock itself.

Anything was possible.

Sirius had also explained to Harry how the Ministry had come to be in the castle at the exact location to capture Katlin. When Hedwig had returned without having delivered Sirius' last letter, he had reasoned they had made it into the tunnel already. From there he alerted the ministry, who had posted guards at the end of the tunnel, certain that they would soon show up. All of which had worked exactly as the Ministry predicted. The only bonus for them being that Katlin had lost her wand in the tunnel.

Harry tried so hard not to see Katlin in the light that everyone painted her. How could the same woman who had helped him escape Voldemort's lair, and taken care of him all those days and nights possibly be the heartless assassin they all tried to warn him about?

And where was she now?

Harry tried not to think too hard on that question. For one, he hated the feeling he got every time he remembered what he had done in the Ministry jail. It was the first time he had ever kept anything completely from his godparents, unsure as he was of how they would react if he told them what he had done.

But it had been the right thing to do, he kept consoling himself. No matter what they all said, he had done the right thing in giving Katlin back her wand.

But what had happened after that? He never saw anything in the papers about any capture or escape of a Deatheater. No reports of any rescues or fights.

Nothing.

What had happened to her?

And who could he ask without raising suspicion?

****

(Scene Change)

"Well, Harry," Dumbledore greeted him as he stepped into the old wizard's office, "this is a surprise. Please," He added, indicating the chair in front of his desk, "have a seat."

Harry sat numbly in the chair, staring at the floor.

"Well, something is on your mind." Dumbledore observed when Harry didn't say anything first. "And you must have wanted to talk about it."

Harry paused before meeting the Headmaster's stare. "I wondered..." he paused, assessing again if he really wanted an answer to his question. But not knowing was driving him slowly crazy, and he figured if anyone knew the truth, it was Dumbledore. "I was wondering," he began again, "if you ever heard what became of Katlin?"

"Katlin?" Dumbledore ask. "Now, why would you be interested in such a thing?"

Harry sighed to himself. How could he get an answer to his question without making the old wizard suspicious?

"You're worried about her?" Dumbledore ask as Harry tried to figure out what to say.

The teenager looked up suddenly, but remained silent.

"Well?"

Harry nodded in answer.

"Do you believe everything everyone has told you about Katlin Griss, Harry?"

Harry was still trying to figure out how Dumbledore had come to ask him about Katlin right off. Sometimes the Headmaster could change subjects so fast it was hard to know exactly what the topic was, or if you were even answering the right question.

"I don't know." Harry replied, sounding as miserable as he felt.

"Well, you must have some feelings on the subject."

Harry thought for a moment, feeling this was a question he'd do well to answer very carefully. "I suppose everyone has they're own opinion of her." he said at last.

"And what might yours be then?"

Harry thought again. "Katlin took care of me." he replied in a resolute tone. "All she ever did was protect me, just like she promised she would. But then we came back to the castle, and everyone said she was just like all the Deatheaters, and all she was doing was using me to get into the castle. And now they captured her and sent her to Azkaban, where she said they were going to let the Dementors have her."

"And I'm very sure they would have." Dumbledore replied mildly. "If she had ever arrived."

Harry's head snapped up. "She was never sent to Azkaban?"

"No, she was sent, Harry." Dumbledore corrected. "She simply never arrived. The night Katlin Griss was to go to Azkaban, she escaped. She hasn't been seen since."

"She escaped?" Harry ask in barely a whisper.

"Yes." Dumbledore replied with concern. "But if you're worried about if she'll try and come after you because of what happened at the castle..."

Harry lifted his head and looked across the desk at the Headmaster. "No, sir. I'm not worried about that."

"Then what is it? You sound a bit...apprehensive she escaped."

"It's not that, sir." Harry replied. "It's just..." he paused again, looking for the right words. "Do they know how she escaped?"

"The story is a bit unclear." Dumbledore confessed. "The guards say that the Dementors guarding the train turned on them. Attacked them and chased them off the train. By the time the Ministry arrived with help, Katlin was gone. One of the guards said he thought he saw her using a wand. But that's a bit suspect, I assume, since Katlin had lost her wand. And she had no way of getting hold of another, did she?" he said.

Harry sat for a very long time studying the floor in front of the Headmaster's desk, nearly jumping out of the chair when Dumbledore broke the silence. "Well, if there wasn't anything else, Harry..." he added, stepping around his large desk.

"She had her wand back." Harry suddenly replied in a flat tone of voice.

Dumbledore stopped and studied the boy before him carefully as he leaned against his desk. "How do you know that, Harry?" he ask.

"Because I gave it to her." He stated bluntly. "I'm the one who helped her escape."

Dumbledore stopped abruptly. "You helped her, Harry?" He questioned. "How?"

Harry took a breath. "She told the Ministry wizards at the castle she didn't have her wand. That she must have dropped it somewhere."

"Yes."

"Well, she was telling the truth. She did drop it. In the tunnel. And I picked it up."

Dumbledore gave Harry a puzzled look. "Why didn't you tell anyone this, Harry?"

Harry paused for a moment. "I don't know." He replied quietly. "I just kept it. I meant to give it to Sirius or Arabella."

"But you didn't."

Harry shook his head. "Sirius told me they were going to take Katlin to Azkaban. That they would let the Dementors give her the Kiss." Harry turned quickly back to his Headmaster. "Sirius and Arabella told me she was a horrible person. That she had done a lot of things that she had to pay for. But she never hurt me." He stated firmly. "Never once. And she placed herself in danger more than once to help me escape Voldemort. I couldn't just let them do that to her."

"All right, Harry." Dumbledore replied kindly, waving down the boy's growing anxiety. "I understand your reasoning. Now, what exactly did you do?"

"I asked to see her before they took her to Azkaban." Harry said. "And I took her wand in with me."

"How did you get a wand past the guards? Didn't they check?"

"They searched me." Harry confirmed. "But Katlin had taught me a spell while we were escaping from Voldemort on how to conceal things. I used that spell to hide her wand from the Ministry guards."

"All right. Go on."

"I told Katlin that I'd give her the wand if she promised not to kill anyone in trying to escape."

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that she kept her promise, Harry." Dumbledore replied with a small smile. "No one was seriously hurt in her escape. And the Ministry has no clear proof she had her wand back, since no one ever actually saw it."

Harry looked up at him.

"Apparently she wanted to make sure you wouldn't be questioned, since if they knew she had her wand, they would have also known someone had to have given it to her. So," Dumbledore added, resting his arms on his desk, "with that matter cleared up, Harry, I have to asked, why are you telling me this?"

Harry paused briefly again before beginning. "Katlin found out about the tunnel because of me." He said. "And there were only two ways to keep her from telling Voldemort. One was to let the Dementors...perform the Kiss." Harry paled slightly at the thought of what such a fate was like for a person.

"And the other?" Dumbledore prompted him to go on.

"The other was to get her to promise not to."

"And those are your only reasons?" The old wizard asked him.

Harry paused for a few moments, thinking over his answer carefully. When he finally did speak, his voice was nearly inflectionless. "The whole time I was with Katlin, from the moment I met her while sitting in the dungeon in Voldemort's lair, she treated me like...like she really cared what happened to me. When she helped me escape, when we were both running from Voldemort, she did everything she could for me. She was kind, concerned, even worried for me.

Then when I was taken back to Sirius and Arabella, they told me Katlin was a horrible person. That she was a Deatheater and that she's done a lot of really terrible things to people. That she...she was an Elite. One of Voldemort's best."

Dumbledore didn't say anything. Instead he sat back behind his desk and simply watched the teenager sitting before him trying to work out the inconsistencies on his own. But finally Harry seemed to give up and turned a confused expression to Dumbledore.

"I don't understand." He said quietly. "She acted like she cared about me. And yet Sirius and Arabella say she's a horrible person. Like any Deatheater. And I trust Sirius and Arabella. But...if Katlin's really like Sirius and Arabella say, why...why did she act so nice to me? Was that all just part of some act? Some part she was playing to get me to show her a way into the castle? I mean," Harry went on, searching for the right way to explain things, "are they all like that? The Deatheaters? Should I just not trust any of them? And if I can't, what about Katlin? She did what she promised. But if she was just playing some part...if she was lying to me, then she knows about one tunnel into the castle. And she can probably guess there are others. And I'll be the one who showed her the way. All because I trusted her. I believed her."

Dumbledore brought Harry's rambling to a stop as he raised his hand. A small smile on his face.

"That would be a lot for even me to puzzle over Harry. And I'm afraid I can't give you any solid answers to help solve the questions for you.

But I will tell you this. Katlin Griss is a Deatheater, that much is true. And your godparents have very good reasons to see her the way they do. And what they say is true, in part. Katlin has done some very terrible things. But keep in mind, your godparents only know Katlin, for the most part, as a Deatheater. They have seen first hand some of the terrible things she has done. And any representation of her they give is going to be a little biased at best.

But I also know Katlin Griss, Harry."

Harry looked up suddenly. "You know her?"

Dumbledore nodded. "And I have for a very long time. She has been in this castle. She's been in that very chair you're sitting in now. And I have had some very long, and interesting conversations with her. She is a very complicated, very intelligent, and very intriguing woman. But above everything she may be, past everything her life has made her, past the things she has done, and the things she has had to do for whatever reason, politics aside, I will tell you one thing I have always found to be true about her without fail. She is loyal."

"Loyal?" Harry asked, not seeing how that helped him much.

"Very. And in that, and in a very odd sort of way, she is one of the most trustworthy people I have ever met. If Katlin told you she would or would not do something, Harry, I, for one, would believe her."

Harry thought for a moment before turning a questioning stare back to the Headmaster. "So, you think I should trust her?" Harry ask.

Dumbledore sighed quietly, a small smile on his lips. "I'm not trying to tell you to do anything, Harry. And in this matter, no one should. I'm only offering you another point of view on the very enigmatic Katlin Griss. I might hesitate to count her among my friends. But I certainly would never count her among my enemies."

"But...if she's a Deatheater, why is she coming here...to Hogwarts...to talk to you?"

Dumbledore shrugged with a small smile. "She says she likes my tea."

Harry knew better than to continue to question the Headmaster any further on that subject. Enigmatic as the man could be, sometimes you just weren't going to get anything better than a vague answer to your question.

"Is she all right?" Harry ask instead.

"The last I heard from her." he replied with the same small smile. "She sent me an owl a few days ago. 'Rupert' I think she once told me his name was." Dumbledore frowned slightly at the memory. "Never met a more haughty bird than that one. But Katlin seems very fond of him."

"Does her husband know she's all right?" he ask without thinking.

Dumbledore looked at the boy over his glasses. "Her husband?"

Harry snapped his mouth shut, sure he had said far too much. But Dumbledore only gave him a smile.

"I suppose so." he replied. "She mentioned in her letter he was quite well."

Harry only answered the comment with a small smile as he slid off the chair and got to his feet. Thanking the Headmaster for his time, he bid the older man good night.

"And where are you off to now, Harry?" Dumbledore ask.

Harry turned back to the Headmaster for a moment. "Home." he replied. "Arabella promised stew for dinner." And with that he headed out the door and started for where Arabella and Sirius were waiting to take him home.

****

(Scene Change)

Several miles into London, a tall figure dressed in a black overcoat stood near an open alleyway, just out of sight. The coat reached nearly to the ground and hung on the person like it had been tailor made for them. Tight in all the right places to enhance all the best qualities of the person wearing it while remaining loose enough in other areas to still be functional.

The figure lifted it's wrist as it checked a large gold watch, then stuffed the hand back into the pocket with a certain amount of irritation.

"Three minutes past nine, in case you were wondering." Orion offered as he stepped up behind the figure.

The man never moved so much as a muscle in surprise. "I prefer to think of it as you're being three minutes late."

Orion met the hard stare of his superior as Orin Bale turned to face him.

"You're going to give yourself ulcers worrying about things like that, Orin."

"I don't need 'things like that' to give me ulcers. I have you and Misser for that."

"So good to know we fill a need for you."

Orin sighed in the chilled night air. A cloud of steam rose in front of his face. He'd put off this meeting until things settled down, and had spent his time for the last few days keeping things out of the papers and out of the hands of the media at large as far as Griss' capture had gone. He hadn't planned on things going as far off base as they had, and Katlin's capture had made the whole set up suddenly very unpredictable. Orion's plan to rescue her had been even more so. "Get on with it then." he scowled at his top agent. "What have you got?"

"Everything went just as I told you it would. Why don't you trust me?"

"Were you seen?"

"Not a soul."

"Anyone hurt?"

"I understand a few of the guards are still having nightmares. Serves them right if you ask me. Rubbing her capture in our noses like they did."

"Every Unspeakable would have done the same thing to them if it had been our lot that captured her and you know it."

Orion growled something under his breath.

"How is she?" Orin asked after a slight pause, fielding the words out as casually as he could.

"She's all right. Still a little shaken. But she's getting back to her old self. The kids help her stay focused on other things."

"And how are things on the other end?" Orin ask.

Orion's face darkened. He knew exactly what 'other end' his superior meant. "Things are as well as one can hope. We're keeping up a covert surveillance. He doesn't sneeze that we don't know it."

"Is he suspicious of anything going on?"

Orion shook his head. "Arabella's doing a good job for her part. She's out of the house a lot. Off on trips. Shopping in London overnight. Inviting her family to come stay the weekend when she can't cover her absences anymore without raising his suspicions. Everything so far is passing as simple wedding preparations. Arabella's Aunt Rose is in the house right now. He's never alone."

Orin nodded. "Good. The last thing we want is any suspicions raised." The man cast a long sideways glance at his agent. "When are you moving?"

"One week." Came the brisk reply.

Orin nodded, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he blew on them to warm them a little through the gloves he wore. "All right then," he said, gesturing with a slight nod towards the pub across the street. "I understand they make a very good toddy over there. Think I'll have one before heading home." Orin pulled up his collar against the cold as he nodded once more to his agent before starting off towards the bright lights illuminating the front walkway of the pub across the street. "Do give your wife my best, won't you?" he added as he stepped out into the street and hurried across.

"I'll do that." Orion answered in a quiet voice. He watched until Bale disappeared inside pub before turning back down the alleyway and apparating home.

****

Q&A

Runaway

ani:

Thank you, Dear. Always good to have your OC's liked. Especially in a story like this, where they make up at least half of the cast.

Skahducky:

True, they might suspect Harry, but proving anything is quite a different story. The guards checked him going in and coming out. To their knowledge, he was always wand-free. And who's going to run to the head of the line to accuse 'The Boy Who Lived' of helping a Deatheater escape? They would suspect some trick on the nefarious Katlin's part before they would suspect a sweet, innocent little Harry Potter.

Was anything that Katlin told Harry in the jail cell a lie? Not really. She saw no point in lying further. She was headed for Azkaban and likely her death. Why bother lying anymore?

Now, was anything Katlin told Harry a lie? Well, most of the trip was. And once they got into Hogsmeade I don't think she told one honest truth the whole time. But you had to look at her reasoning here. Katlin was in a very tight spot. She was under orders from Voldemort to find a secret passage into Hogwarts if one existed. However, she also knew the ramifications if she succeeded. Keep in mind poor Katlin is stretching her loyalties to the breaking point here. She likes Dumbledore. Bit of an odd duck, but generally an alright sort. But she is loyal to Voldemort...for the most part. She is also trying to keep her word to her husband that she would take care of Harry. Meanwhile, Harry is also nearly Sirius' son, which would make him her nephew, thus family. With the loyalty pie cut about everyway it could be, Katlin tried to do the best she could. And her plan was fairly good. To get Harry back to the castle safely, turn him over to Dumbledore, get escorted merrily to the front gates, and sent home with a story that the secret passage did not exist and giving instead a story of her barely making it out alive to enlist the sympathy vote.

Getting captured was not part of the plan.

Of course she likes him! Who wouldn't love that sweet little moppy-topped urchin?

Actually, Katlin does like Harry. She thinks he is for the most part an intelligent, likable teenager who she identifies with more than people realize. They are both orphans, and both are doing all they can to not only gain the respect and love of those around them, but each protect their own way of life.

No, Harry has not been adopted by Sirius and Arabella yet.

OK. Story line up here.

Enemies - About fifteen years before Family Life.

Family Life - Right after GoF.

Runaway - With about one week after Family Life ended.

Family Relations - Starts about three weeks after the end of Family Life.

Family Ties - Follows immediately after Family Relations.

Hope that helps, Dear.

Silverfox:

Bo would not do well at Azkaban, Dear. Full of Dementors, and Bo, while not effected by Dementors as wizards and witches are, still does not like them.

Bo always likes to see Katlin. He's actually very fond of her.

I hope you liked Hershal. He's nothing if not dramatic. However, this story did not touch on why Bo does not like him. It has only a little to do with Hershal's nature. It has almost everything to do with how he got that way. But that will be covered in greater depth in Family Relations.

Everyone likes Bo, Dear. He's just so darn...likable.

Nessie:

Actually, that was not planned as the story seen from Hedwig's POV, it just worked best that way. I needed an impartial character through who I could show people what was really going on.

As you know, Runaway ended with this chapter.

If she's caught that means no escaping or anything? Dear, this is Katlin Griss. If she doesn't want to stay caught, she won't. And even past that, Orion is not going to let his wife go to Azkaban.

And Katlin also had an unknown friend helping her in the background that was not mentioned until the end of this story, and that Orin Bale, Head of the Unspeakables.

And that whole end conversation was nothing less than the set up for Family Relations, which I start in June. Hope to see you back for it, Dear.

And that's all right, Dear. You made perfect sense.

****

Fever

Rankokunalpha:

I very glad you enjoyed it, Dear. Thank you. But I believe that story ended on Chapter 13. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. A good indicator is that I usually tell readers when it's the last chapter. Also if I haven't posted in over a year, chances are it's done.

All reviews are as of 05/11/2005.

And remember;

My IQ test came back negative.


End file.
